Emydocephalus annulatus
| Emydocephalus annulatus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Emydocephalus |
| Species: | E. annulatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Emydocephalus annulatus | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Emydocephalus szczerbaki | |
Emydocephalus annulatus, commonly known as the turtleheaded sea snake or egg-eating sea snake, is a
Description
Named for its short, blunt head, this medium-sized snake has a slender build and varies in color. A single snake may exhibit only one color or may have banded patterns of white or yellow with dark rings. The scales on top of the head are large, regular, and entire. The
An individual snake's color affects the amount of algal fouling that accumulates on its body. A snake of a darker, more monotonous color has a higher level of algae build-up than one of a paler, patterned variety. The added weight of algae affects an individual's speed, reducing it by up to 20%. Those whose locomotive skills were affected had a tendency to be more inactive and choose to hide among the coral, while those with little to no algal fouling were found actively foraging. The inactivity, however, did not affect their survival rates; lighter-colored snakes were not more likely to survive than their darker-colored counterparts.[4]
Dietary habits
Curiously, Emydocephalus is the only sea snake that does not possess
E. annulatus populations tend to stay where they are and rarely move between territories; they tend to be sedentary. This could possibly be related to the spatial memory of snakes and their ability to remember where nests are located. If they stay in the same area, then the snakes are able to feed regularly on the same sites.[7]
The feeding strategy of Emydocephalus has been compared to that of a grazing mammal. This atypical method of feeding is evidence of the great adaptive radiation of snakes.[8]
Mating habits
Terrestrial snakes use pheromones to locate potential sexual partners, with a male often tracking a female's scent over large distances. This is not possible, though, in the aquatic environment of the turtle-headed sea snake.[9] E. annulatus instead uses visual cues to search for mates. These include the size, movement, and color pattern of the object holding its attention.[9] Upon locating females, the reception of female skin lipid pheromones by tongue-flicking males is necessary for males to continue courtship and mating.[10]
Turtle-headed sea snakes are
Conservation
In recent years, a steady decline in populations in and around the New Caledonian Lagoon has been reported. In 2003, volunteers spotted an average of more than six snakes per day within the protected coral reef snorkeling area in the lagoon, which decreased to less than two per day in 2011.[12] In 2006, similar studies were also done in Ashmore Reef in northern Australia that exhibited a decline in population, as well.[1] The cause of the decline is indistinct in either case, though the authors of both studies attributed it to human interference, habitat degradation due to tourism, coral bleaching, and habitat and diet complexity.[1][12]
References
- ^ a b c d Emydocephalus annulatus (2010). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International Union for Conservation of Nature.
- ^ a b c Emydocephalus annulatus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 30 November 2015.
- ^ Emydocephalus annulatus - Turtle-headed Seasnake. Department of the Environment. Australian Government.
- PMID 20375055.
- ^ JSTOR 1935755.
- ^ S2CID 253807871.
- PMID 22833788.
- .
- ^ S2CID 34698605.
- PMID 20585786.
- .
- ^ S2CID 253808378.
Further reading
- Krefft G. 1869. The Snakes of Australia; An Illustrative and Descriptive Catalogue of All the Known Species. Sydney: Thomas Richards, Government Printer. xv + 100 pp. + Plates I-XII. (Emydocephalus annulatus, new species, p. 92).