Hydrophis cantoris

Hydrophis cantoris, also known commonly as Cantor's narrow-headed sea snake and Cantor's small-headed sea snake, is a species of venomous sea snake in the family Elapidae.

Hydrophis cantoris
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Hydrophis
Species:	H. cantoris
Binomial name
Hydrophis cantoris Günther, 1864
Synonyms[2]
Hydrophis cantoris Günther, 1864 Distera gillespiae Boulenger, 1899 Microcephalophis cantoris — Wall, 1921 Hydrophis (Microcephalophis) cantoris — Kharin, 2004

Etymology

The specific name, cantoris, is in honor of Danish zoologist Theodore Edward Cantor.^[3]

Description

H.cantoris has the following diagnostic characters: Head small, body long and slender anteriorly; scales on thickest part of body juxtaposed; 5-6 maxillary teeth behind fangs; 23-25 (rarely 21) dorsal scale rows at neck, 41–48 at thickest part of body (increase from neck to midbody 18–24); ventrals divided by a longitudinal fissure; prefrontal in contact with third upper labial; ventrals 404–468.^[4]

The maximum recorded total length (including tail) of males is 1,450 mm (57 in), and of females is 1,880 mm (74 in). The maximum tail length of males is 120 mm (4.7 in), and of females is 140 mm (5.5 in).^[4]

Geographic range

Indian Ocean (Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Myanmar (= Burma), Thailand, Malaysia), Andaman Islands.^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of H. cantoris is the marine neritic zone, at depths of 20 m (66 ft) or less.^[1]

Reproduction

H. cantoris is viviparous.^[2]

References

1. Rasmussen A, Lobo A, Sanders K (2010). "Hydrophis cantoris ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T176713A7288602.en. Accessed on 09 January 2022.
2. Species Hydrophis cantoris at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Hydrophis cantoris, p. 47).
4. Leviton AE, Wogan GOU, Koo MS, Zug GR, Lucas RS, Vindum JV (2003). "The Dangerously Venomous Snakes of Myanmar: Illustrated Checklist with Keys". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 54 (24): 407-462. (Hydrophis cantoris, p. 431).

Further reading

• Boulenger GA (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Hydrophis cantoris, p. 405).
• 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 cantoris, p. 281 + Plate XIV).
• Das I (1996). Biogeography of the Reptiles of South Asia. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. vii + 87 pp. + 16 plates. ISBN 978-0894649356. (Microcephalophis cantoris, p. 61).
• Günther A (1864). The Reptiles of British India. London: The Ray Society. (Taylor & Francis, printers). xxvii + 452 pp. + Plates I-XXVI. (Hydrophis cantoris, new species, p. 374 + Plate XXV, figure U).
• Smith MA (1943). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes. London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 583 pp. (Microcephalophis cantoris, p. 475).
• Wall F (1921). Ophidia Taprobanica or the Snakes of Ceylon. Colombo, Ceylon [Sri Lanka]: Colombo Museum. (H.R. Cottle, Government Printer). xxii + 581 pp. (Microcephalophis cantoris, new combination, pp. 330–334, figure 63).