Hydrophis semperi

Taxobox | name = Philippine Freshwater Sea Snake
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
familia = Elapidae
genus = "Hydrophis"
species = "H. semperi"
binomial = "Hydrophis semperi"
binomial_authority = (Garman, 1881)

"Hydrophis semperi", known in some circles as Garman's sea snake,cite web | title =Hydrophis semperi | work = [http://www.unep-wcmc.org/isdb/Taxonomy/ UNEP-WCMC Species Database] | publisher =United Nations Environment Programme | date = | url =http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/isdb/Taxonomy/tax-species-result.cfm?displaylanguage=eng&source=animals&Genus=Hydrophis&Species=semperi&Country=&tabname=names
doi = | accessdate = 2007-02-02 ] is a rare sea snake found only in a single lake on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is noted for being one of two known species of sea snake (and the only one in its family) that is known to be found almost-exclusively in freshwater.cite web | last =Diesmos | first =Arvin C. | authorlink =Arvin Diesmos | coauthors= Rafe M. Brown, Marefe C. Lagda and Norydel F. Tresnado|title =The "sea" snake of Taal Lake | work =Features | publisher = [http://www.haribon.org.ph Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources] | date = 2005-03-07 | url =http://www.haribon.org.ph/?q=node/view/153 | accessdate = 2007-02-02]

"H. semperi" is usually classified in the subfamily Hydrophiinae of the family ElapidaeITIS|ID=700554|taxon=Hydrophis semperi|year=2007|date=13 January] , although in some classification schemes, it and the rest of the "true" sea snakes are instead grouped in the family Hydrophiidae.cite web | last =Bischoff | first =Joe | authorlink = | coauthors =Mikhail Domrachev, Scott Federhen, Carol Hotton, Detlef Leipe, Vladimir Soussov, Richard Sternberg and Sean Turner | title =Hydrophis semperi | work =National Center for Biotechnology Information Database | publisher = [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ U.S. Library of Medicine] | date = | url =http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=66179&lvl=0 | format = | doi =Taxonomy ID: 66179 | accessdate = 2007-02-02 ]

Like all "true" sea snakes, it is a rather heavyset snake, elongated with a small head. It possesses the characteristic flattened, paddle-like tail found in the members of its subfamily. This particular species is considered short in comparison to the rest of the family; adult specimens of "H. semperi" that have been caught were in the realm of 50 cm to 70 cm in length. The snake is colored much like a typical sea snake, having a dark blue or black body with alternating yellow (sometimes white) bands encircling its body. Like its close relatives, its nostrils are located almost dorsally, with valves that prevent water from entering its nasal (and oral) cavities when the snake is submerged.As with "true" sea snakes, "H. semperi" is piscivorous, feeding primarily on the numerous fish species that are known to dwell in Taal Lake's murky waters. Very little is known about the snake's life history, including its ecology and breeding cycles.

Since so little is known about the species' reproductive habits, there have been little-to-no estimates of the snake's population. Like many other species endemic to the lake, it is vulnerable as a species to any anthropogenic effects on the lake's ecosystem, both directly and indirectly. Pollution is always a major issue when it comes to enclosed bodies of water with numerous surrounding human settlements. The numerous commercial establishments, towns and plantations dumping chemicals and sewage into the lake, combined with the dense population of fish farms in the lake's waters may yet have an adverse effect on the health of the species as a whole. In addition, while the snake itself has no commercial value and is not harvested, it suffers from the typical human stigma that is often attributed to snakes. Fishermen that frequently encounter the docile snakes have been known to kill the snakes simply because of what they are.

The snake was named for Carl Semper, a German ecologist who discovered the species in the mid-1800s. It is also sometimes referred to as Garman's sea snake. Locally, the snake is known as "duhol".

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External links

*NRDB species|genus=Hydrophis|species=semperi