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Small-headed sea snake
Species of snake From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The small-headed sea snake (Hydrophis macdowelli), also known commonly as McDowell's sea snake, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Hydrophiinae of the family Elapidae. The species is native to waters off northern Australia.
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Etymology
The specific name, macdowelli, is in honor of American herpetologist Samuel Booker McDowell Jr. [2]: 173
Geographic distribution
Hydrophis macdowelli is found along the northern coast of Australia, the south central coast of Papua New Guinea, the Loyalty Islands, and New Caledonia.[1]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of Hydrophis macdowelli is shallow ocean waters with sandy bottoms, at depths of not more than 26 m (85 ft).[1]
Description
As one of its common names implies, Hydrophis macdowelli has a small head in relation to its body size. The species grows to a total length (tail included) of up to 1 metre (39 inches).[3]
Diet
Hydrophis macdowelli preys upon eels and other elongate fishes.[4]
Reproduction
Hydrophis macdowelli is ovoviviparous.[5] Litter size is 2–3 young.[4]
Venom
Hydrophis macdowelli posesses a powerful venom, and its bite is dangerous to humans.[4]
References
Further reading
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