Lapemis curtus
Scientific Name:-
Lapemis curtusCommon Name:-
Shaw's Sea Snake /Short Sea Snake / Spine-bellied Sea Snake
Malayalam Name:-
Cheru kadalpambu
Category:-
Sea snakes
Status:-
Common
Description:-
Body pale to dark olive-grey dorsally and cream to pale yellow below. The dorsal and ventral colouration forms an obscure zigzag junction along the flanks which is more pronounced in younger individuals. The head scales are large and regular. The body scales are juxtaposed, hexagonal or squarish, arranged in 23–45 rows at the mid-body. The lower body scales are larger than the dorsal scales. The lower lateral body scales become tuberculate, spinous or keeled towards the ventral scales especially in adult males. The ventral scales are narrower than the adjacent lateral body scales and may be indistinguishable in the posterior regions. There are approximately 110–240 ventral scales. Ventrals in lowermost scale rows on flanks enlarged compared to dorsal scales. The preanal scales are small. This small and stout snake may grow up to 123 cm in snout vent length.
Threats:-
Trawling is the major threat to this snake in Kerala (Biju Kumar et al., 2007)
Remark:-
: Sea snakes are air breathing reptiles and must come to the surface to breathe, however they can spend from 30 minutes to two hours diving between breaths. They also carry out cutaneous respiration whereby oxygen diffuses from sea water across the snake's skin into the blood. The waste product, carbon dioxide, is then diffused out of the snake's body, via the skin. Like other sea snakes it is viviparous, that is giving birth to live young. Male sea snakes have two penises called hemipenes, and each is an autonomous independently functioning penis, though only one is used during mating. Mating takes place for long periods and sea snakes must surface for air during that time sea snake reaches sexual maturity at approximately two years of age. Females are known to reproduce every year. They may live up to 7 years.
Habitat:-
L. curtus occurs in a wide range of tropical shallow-water habitats including gulfs, bays, and estuaries, over continental shelves and also over soft-sediments adjacent to coral reefs. L. curtus is a generalist feeder and its diet includes many species of benthic, demersal and pelagic fish, as well as squid and other crustaceans. This species typically occurs in depth ranges from 4 to 40 m.
Synonyms:-
Enhydris curtus (Shaw, 1802), Hydrophis hardwickii (Gray, 1834), Hydrus curtus Shaw, 1802, Hypsirhina hardwickii (Gray, 1834), Lapemis hardwickii Gray, 1834
References:-
Biju Kumar, A., M. Susheel Kumar, G.R. Deepthi, & S. Mithun 2007. Sea snakes associated with trawl bycatch of Kerala coast, India. Cobra, 65 (1): 1-4.
Deepak Apte (2012). Field Guide to the Marine Life of India. Deepak Apte, Thane, Maharashtra, 502pp.
Smith, M. A. 1941. Fauna of British India. Reptilia and Batrachia.
Whitaker, R. & A. Captain. (2004). Snakes of India-The Field Guide. Draco Books, Chennai, India, 481pp.