Species Emydocephalus annulatus Krefft, 1869
Eastern Turtle-headed Sea Snake
- Emydocephalus annulatus Krefft, G. 1869. The Snakes of Australia; an Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue of all the Known Species. Sydney : Govt. Printer xxv 100 pp. [92].
Type data:
Syntype(s) AM R454, probably … Australian seas; AM R6633. - Emydocephalus tuberculatus Krefft, G. 1869. The Snakes of Australia; an Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue of all the Known Species. Sydney : Govt. Printer xxv 100 pp. [93].
Type data:
Holotype AM R455, probably … Australian seas.
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Smith, M.A. 1926. Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp.
- Cogger, H.G., in Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E. & Cogger, H.M. 1983. Amphibia and Reptilia. 313 pp. in Walton, D.W. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1 vi + 313 pp. [246]
Distribution
States
Queensland, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
Arafura Sea, Coral Sea, Ashmore Is., Cartier Is., Timor Sea; New Caledonia, possibly Indonesia
IMCRA
Timor Transition (1), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)
Other Regions
Coral Sea Islands Territory, Territory of Ashmore & Cartier Islands
Ecological Descriptors
Aquatic, coral reef, diurnal, inshore, nektonic.
Extra Ecological Information
Perennially active, viviparous, feed exclusively on fish eggs.
Notes
Non-Australian synonyms:
Aipysurus chelonicephalus Bavay, A. (1869). Catalogue des reptiles de la Nouvelle-Calédonie et description d'espèces nouvelles. Mém. Soc. Linn. Normandie 15: 1-37 [34].
Type data: holotype Marine Museum Brest (see Smith, M.A. (1926). Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp.).
Type locality: Lifu (as Lufou), Loyalty Ils, New Caledonia.
Taxonomic decision for synonymy: Smith, M.A. (1926). Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp.; Cogger, H.G. (1983). in Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E. & Cogger, H.M. Amphibia and Reptiles. In Walton, D.W. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 1. Netley, South Australia : Griffin Press Ltd vi 313 pp. [246].
General References
Cogger, H.G. 1975. The sea snakes of Australia and New Guinea. pp. 59-139 in Dunson, W. (ed.). The Biology of Sea Snakes. Baltimore : University Park Press. (taxonomy)
Heatwole, H. 1981. Temperature relations of some sea snakes. The Snake 13: 53-57 (thermoregulation)
McDowell, S.B. 1969. Notes on the Australian sea-snake Ephalophis greyi M. Smith (1969) (Serpentes: Elapidae: Hydrophiinae) and the origin and classification of sea-snakes. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 48: 333-349 (taxonomy)
Seymour, R.S. & Webster, M.E.D. 1975. Gas transport and blood acid-base balance in diving sea snakes. Journal of Experimental Zoology 191: 169-182 (diving physiology)
Smith, L.A. 1981. A revision of the Liasis olivaceus species-group (Serpentes: Boidae) in Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 9: 227-233 (physiology)
Smith, M.A. 1926. Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp. (taxonomy)
Voris, H.K. 1966. Fish eggs as the apparent sole food item for a genus of sea snake, Emydocephalus (Krefft). Ecology 47: 152-154 (diet)
Common Name References
Clayton, M., Wombey, J.C., Mason, I.J., Chesser, R.T. & Wells, A. 2006. CSIRO List of Australian Vertebrates: A Reference with Conservation Status. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing iv 162 pp. [46] (Eastern Turtle-headed Sea Snake)
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04-Feb-2023 | ELAPIDAE Boie, 1827 | 31-Oct-2023 | MODIFIED | |
| 07-Feb-2024 | 19-Mar-2013 | MODIFIED | ||
| 08-Mar-2011 | 08-Mar-2011 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |