Distributed range & status
Hydrophis ornatus ornatus sub species is found from Sri Lanka in west, south, northwest coastal areas such as Hikkaduwa, Colombo, Halawatha, Gale, Kalpitiya.
Scales
rostral |
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frontal |
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supraoculars |
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parietals |
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prefrontals |
Touches the 2nd Supralabial |
nasals |
Touches one another. Shorter than the frontal |
internasals |
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loreals |
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preoculars |
1 |
postoculars |
2-3 |
temporals |
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Supralabials |
6-8 (3-4 touches the eye) |
mental |
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infralabials |
9-12 (1-2 cuneate scales are found in between) |
sublinguals |
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coastals |
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ventrals |
Males-209-273, females-236-312 |
anal |
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subcaudals |
37-44 |
There are scale rows 28-37 in males & 31-45 in females at the back of the neck. There are 33-52 in males & 39-55 in females mid body scale rows. Body scales are hexagonal. Tubercle keel is present.
Characteristics
The body is same in size throughout. The neck is indistinct. Large, short & flattened head is present. They have a laterally flattened paddle like tail. Hemipenis divided near the tip; it is spinose throughout.
Colour
The head is dorsally dark coloured. The snout & the lateral sides of the head are light coloured. Dorsal bodies consist of black or grey very broad bands. These are squarish. There are 30-56 yellow or olive thin lines which separates them. These bands are parallel to each other. Posterior body rarely contains black patches. The ventral body is light coloured. The tail consists of 6-11 bands.
Venom
They are highly venomous snakes but a death has never been recorded from Sri Lanka.
Dentition
Data not found.
Behavior
It is a very aggressive snake. They live in shallow waters where there are sandy bottoms & also found among corals.
Breeding
Data not found.
Growth
The adult total length is 1000-1200mm.
Food
Data not found.
Identification
The body consists of bands which are parallel to each other until it reaches the lateral end. But in all other banded sea snakes, bands are not parallel to each other.
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