Hydrophis belcheri

Taxobox | name = Faint-banded Seasnake
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
familia = Elapidae
genus = "Hydrophis"
species = "H. belcheri"
binomial = "Hydrophis belcheri"
binomial_authority = (Gray, 1849)

The Faint-banded Sea snake ("Hydrophis belcheri", also known as the Belcher's sea snake) is a species of sea snake. It has a friendly temperament and would normally have to be subjected to severe mistreatment before biting. Usually those bitten are fishermen handling nets, although only a quarter of those bitten are envenomated since the snake rarely injects much of its venom. Because of this, and its docile nature, it is generally not regarded as very dangerous. The toxicity of this species' venom have many times been called into question, with some herpetologists and snake enthusiasts naming either the beaked sea snake ("Enhydrina schistosa") or the Inland Taipan ("Oxyuranus microlepidotus") as having the most toxic venom. [http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/tbiol/zoology/herp/Enhydrinaschistosa.PDF] [ [http://www.4to40.com/QA/index.asp?id=631&category=animal Question:What is the most venomous snake on the planet?,Children's find simple answers for What is the most venomous snake on the planet?,animal FAQ's,School Notes for What is the most venomous snake on the planet?,Kids question:What is the most venomous snake on the planet? ] ] [http://www.phcog.net/phcogmag/issue9/11.pdf] [ [http://www.cfrar.com/venomoussnakes.htm The Center for Reptile and Amphibian Research: The Most Venomous Snakes ] ] [ [http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/crochunter/australiazoo/10mostvenomous.html Animal Planet :: Australia Zoo - Venomous Snakes ] ] [http://www.barefootbushman.com/venoms.htm] [ [http://www.seanthomas.net/oldsite/ld50tot.html LD50 for various snakes ] ] [ [http://www.toxinology.com/fusebox.cfm?fuseaction=main.snakes.display&id=SN0520 WCH Clinical Toxinology Resources ] ] [ [http://www.toxinology.com/fusebox.cfm?fuseaction=main.snakes.display&id=SN0558 WCH Clinical Toxinology Resources ] ] [ [http://www.explorebiodiversity.com/snakes/main/mostvenomous.html Snake Web - The Wild Classroom ] ] [ [http://www.kingsnake.com/toxinology/LD50/LD50men.html LD50 menu ] ] [ [http://www.kingsnake.com/toxinology/LD50/ld50sc.html LD50 - subcutaneous ] ] [http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2003/stoneley/strength.htm] [ [http://www.reptileallsorts.com/bites-venom.htm Bites Venom ] ]

Distribution

Indian Ocean (Philippines: Visayan area, Panay; New Guinea), Gulf of Thailand,
Australia (North Territory?, Queensland?), Solomon Islands [McCoy 2000] . Especially around the Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea off northwest Australia.

Taxonomic history

The scientific name commemorates the British explorer Sir Edward Belcher, and was named by John Edward Gray in 1849. It was independently discovered and named by Charles Darwin in 1851, though he retracted his claim upon being provided with a copy of Belcher's work.Fact|date=June 2007

The faint-banded sea snake has been mistakenly called the "hook-nosed sea snake" (which is actually Enhydrina schistosa) and in one instance was called the "blue-banded sea snake" (which is actually one name for Hydrophis cyanocinctus).

References

Bibliography

* McCarthy,C.J. & Warrel,D.A. 1991 A collection of sea snakes from Thailand with new records of Hydrophis belcheri (Gray). Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Zool.) 57 (2): 161-166
* McCoy, M. 2000 Reptiles of the Solomon Islands. ZooGraphics, Kuranda (Australia), CD-ROM.