Laticauda laticaudata (Linnaeus, 1758), Photo

Leviton, Alan E., Siler, Cameron D., Weinell, Jeffrey L. & Brown, Rafe M., 2018, Synopsis of the Snakes of the Philippines A Synthesis of Data from Biodiversity Repositories, Field Studies, and the Literature, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Oxford, England) 64 (14), pp. 399-568 : 469

Laticauda laticaudata (Linnaeus, 1758)

Photo figure 103

Brown-lipped Sea Krait; Black-banded Sea Krait

Coluber laticaudatus Linnaeus, 1758:222 (part).

Laticauda laticaudata, Taylor, 1922a:4 .— Smith, 1926:4, fig. 5; 1943:442.— McCarthy, 1993a:146.— David and Ineich, 1999:124.— Oliveros, Ota, Crombie, and Brown, 2011:16.— Rasmussen et al., 2011:9.— Leviton, Brown, and Siler, 2014:514, figs. 17A, 18A, 49.— Supsup, Puna, Asis, Redoblado, Panaguinit, Guinto, Rico, Diesmos, Brown, and Mallari, 2016:170.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE SPECIMEN (S).— “ In Indiis ”. Lectotype: NHR Lin-87 , designated by Stejneger (1907a:402) (see Wallach et al. [2014:356]).

PHILIPPINE DISTRIBUTION ( Map 20A [p. 131]).— [coastal waters of the islands of] Babuyan Ids. (Calayan), Bantayan, Gato, Jolo, Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro [northern], Samar, Sulu Archipelago (Jolo).

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION (OTHER THAN PHILIPPINES).— Smith (1943:443) states that it is “rare in the Oriental region (Calcutta and Little Nicobar Harbour).” On the other hand, Minton (1975:26, table 1) suggests that although rare in the Bay of Bengal, it may not be uncommon along the west coast of the Malayan Peninsula. Also western Indonesia (Sumatra and Java) to Australia, Melanesia and Polynesia, and north along the east coast of Asia to southern Japan. (See Wallach et al., 2014:356 for a summary of its reported distribution.)

CONSERVATION STATUS [IUCN].— Least Concern [2016] ver. 3.1.