hydrophiids

Though sea snakes all possess a vertically flat, paddle-like tail (a feature not seen in any other snakes), most snake experts have agreed that the term ‘sea snake’ includes two quite different groups of aquatic elapids: the laticaudids, or sea kraits, and the hydrophiids (or hydrophids or hydropheids), or true sea snakes.

‘A miniature plesiosaur without flippers’: surreal morphologies and surprising behaviours in sea snakes Darren Naish 2006

Though sea snakes all possess a vertically flat, paddle-like tail (a feature not seen in any other snakes), most snake experts have agreed that the term ‘sea snake’ includes two quite different groups of aquatic elapids: the laticaudids, or sea kraits, and the hydrophiids (or hydrophids or hydropheids), or true sea snakes.

Archive 2006-07-01 Darren Naish 2006

Several other features indicate that laticaudids are ‘primitive’ compared to the hydrophiids: they are generally better able to move on land, and they are mostly (but not entirely) oviparous (whereas hydrophiids are all viviparous).

‘A miniature plesiosaur without flippers’: surreal morphologies and surprising behaviours in sea snakes Darren Naish 2006

Several other features indicate that laticaudids are ‘primitive’ compared to the hydrophiids: they are generally better able to move on land, and they are mostly (but not entirely) oviparous (whereas hydrophiids are all viviparous).

Archive 2006-07-01 Darren Naish 2006

Laticaudids are less specialised for marine life than hydrophiids, being better able to move on land, and they are mostly (but not entirely) oviparous (whereas hydrophiids are all viviparous).

Archive 2006-07-01 Darren Naish 2006

Laticaudids are less specialised for marine life than hydrophiids, being better able to move on land, and they are mostly (but not entirely) oviparous (whereas hydrophiids are all viviparous).

Sea kraits: radical intraspecific diversity, reproductive isolation, and site fidelity Darren Naish 2006

However, the news is that the picture is even more complicated than this, as it now seems that hydrophiids themselves are not monophyletic.

‘A miniature plesiosaur without flippers’: surreal morphologies and surprising behaviours in sea snakes Darren Naish 2006

However, the news is that the picture is even more complicated than this, as it now seems that hydrophiids themselves are not monophyletic.

Archive 2006-07-01 Darren Naish 2006

So then … despite the fact that laticaudids aren’t as specialised for marine life as hydrophiids are, they’re clearly interesting.

Sea kraits: radical intraspecific diversity, reproductive isolation, and site fidelity Darren Naish 2006

And don’t go thinking that they’re any less interesting than hydrophiids.

Sea kraits: radical intraspecific diversity, reproductive isolation, and site fidelity Darren Naish 2006