Thai National Parks

Hydrophis peronii, commonly known as the horned sea snake, Peron's sea snake, and the spiny-headed seasnake, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Hydrophiinae of the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to the western tropical Pacific Ocean. It is the only sea snake with spines on the head. It is sometimes placed in its own genus Acalyptophis.

Etymology

The specific name, peronii, is in honor of François Péron, a French naturalist and explorer.

Description

The spiny-headed seasnake is a medium-size snake, with the diameter of the neck only one third to two fifths the diameter of the thickest part of the body. The head is small and the tail flattened laterally. The supraoculars are raised, and their free borders are pointed. This species reaches a snout-vent length (SVL) of up to 1.23 m. Dorsally, it is grayish, pale olive, or tan, with dark crossbands, which are narrower than the spaces between them and taper to a point on the sides of the belly. Ventrally, it is uniform whitish or with a series of dark crossbars alternating with spots.

Geographic range

H. peronii is found in the Gulf of Siam, Thailand, Vietnam, the South China Sea, the coast of Guangdong and Strait of Taiwan,

the Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Coral Sea Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, & possibly New South Wales).

Habitat

The preferred habitats of H. peronii are seas with sandy beds and coral reefs.

Diet

The diet of H. peronii includes small fish.

Reproduction

H. peronii is a viviparous species that produces up to 10 live young per female.

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