Hydrophis brookii is a species of venomous sea snake in the subfamily Hydrophiinae of the family Elapidae. The species is native to bodies of water in Southeast Asia.
Etymology
The specific name, brookii, is in honor of British adventurer James Brooke, who became the first White Rajah of Sarawak.
Geographic range
H. brookii is found in the Indian Ocean (Malaysia, Vietnam, western Indonesia: Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan) and the Gulf of Thailand. It is also found in a freshwater lake in Thailand.
Description
Males of H. brookii may attain a total length of , which includes a tail long. Females are slightly smaller, and may attain a total length of , with a tail long.
Diet
H. brookii predominately preys upon eels.
Reproduction
H. brookii is viviparous.
References
Further reading
- Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ) ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I-XXV. (Hydrophis brookii, pp. 282âÂÂ283).
- Günther A (1872). "On the Reptiles and Amphibians of Borneo". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1872: 586-600 + Plates XXXV-XL. (Hydrophis brookii, new species, p. 597, Figure 5).
- Kharin VE (1983). "[A new species of the genus Hydrophis sensu lato (Serpentes, Hydrophiidae) from the North Australian Shelf ]". Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 62 (11): 1751âÂÂ1753. (in Russian).
- Kharin VE (2004). "[A review of sea snakes of the genus Hydrophis sensu stricto (Serpentes, Hydrophiidae)]". Biologiya Morya (Vladivostok) 30 (6): 447âÂÂ454. (in Russian).