Species Hydrophis stokesii (Gray, 1846)
Stokes's Sea Snake
- Hydrus stokesii Gray, J.E. 1846. Descriptions of some new Australian reptiles. pp. 498-504 in Stokes, J.L. (ed.). Discoveries in Australia; With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle in the years 1837–38–39–40–41–42–43. London : T. & W. Boone Vol. 1. [502, pl. 3].
Type data:
Holotype BMNH 1946.1.17.12, 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. [245]
Generic Combinations
- Astrotia stokesii (Gray, 1846). —
Wall, F. 1921. Ophidia Taprobanica or the Snakes of Ceylon. Colombo : Cottle xxii 581 pp. [396]
Distribution
States
New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
Arafura Sea, Coral Sea, Timor Sea; New Guinea, SE Asia
IMCRA
Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)
Other Regions
Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater
Ecological Descriptors
Aquatic, continental shelf, estuary, inshore, nektonic, noctidiurnal, piscivore, predator.
Extra Ecological Information
Perennially active, viviparous.
Notes
Non-Australian synonyms:
Hydrophis schizopholis Schmidt, P. (1846). Beschreibung zweier neuen Reptilien, aus dem naturhistorischen Museum zu Hamburg. Abh. Geb. Naturw. Hamburg 1: 164-172 [166, pl. 15 figs 1-7].
Type data: holotype ZMH 387 (see Smith, M.A. (1926). Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp.).
Type locality: China Sea.
Hydrus annulatus Gray, J.E. (1849). Catalogue of the Specimens of Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum xv 125 pp. [59].
Type data: holotype BMNH 1946.1.19.74.
Type locality: Singapore.
Hydrophis guntheri Theobald, W. (1868). Catalogue of reptiles in the Museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal; second sub-order, Serpentes Colubrini Venenati. Bull. Mus. R. Hist. Nat. Belg. 37: 67-74 [69].
Type data: holotype whereabouts unknown (presumed lost, see Smith, M.A. (1926). Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp.).
Type locality: mouth of Hooghly River, India (as probably from the Sandheads).
Hydrophis granosa Anderson, J. (1871). On some Indian reptiles. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1871: 149-211 [190].
Type data: holotype IM.
Type locality: mouth of Hooghly River, India (as Sand Heads).
Hydrophis guttata Murray, J.A. (1887). Description of three new species of Hydrophis from the Bombay harbour and the Mekran coast. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 2: 32-35 [33].
Type data: holotype BMNH 1946.1.19.73.
Type locality: Makran coast, Iran and Pakistan (as Mekran Coast).
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. [245].
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)
Dunson, W.A. & Minton, S.A. 1978. Diversity, distribution and ecology of Philippine marine snakes (Reptilia, Serpentes). Journal of Herpetology 12: 281-286 (distribution and ecology)
McDowell, S.B. 1972. The genera of sea-snakes of the Hydrophis group (Serpentes: Elapidae). Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 32: 189-247 (taxonomy)
Smith, M.A. 1926. Monograph on the Sea Snakes. (Hydrophiidae). London : British Museum xvii 130 pp. (taxonomy)
Taiya, N. & Maeda, N. 1979. Neurotoxins of Australian sea snakes. pp. 95-101 in Chubb, I.W. & Greffen, L.B. (eds). Neurotoxins: Fundamental and Clinical Advances. Adelaide : Adelaide University Union Press. (venom)
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] (Stokes's 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 | ELAPIDAE | 07-Oct-2014 | MODIFIED | |
| 07-Feb-2024 | 22-Aug-2013 | MODIFIED | ||
| 08-Mar-2011 | 08-Mar-2011 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |