Aipysurus foliosquama

Aipysurus foliosquama, also known as the leaf-scaled sea snake, is a critically endangered species of venomous sea snake in the family Elapidae. It is endemic to the Ashmore and Cartier Islands of Australia.[1]

Leaf-scaled sea snake
Museum specimen

Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Aipysurus
Species:
A. foliosquama
Binomial name
Aipysurus foliosquama
Smith, 1926

Taxonomy

The species was first described in 1926. The combination Smithohydrophis foliosquama (Kharin 1981) is recognised as a synonym.[1]

Description

The recorded length is around 800 millimetres and coloration is purple brown. A poorly known species, the diet is known to consist of wrasse and gudgeon fish that are pursued through coral outcrops and crevices.[2]

Distribution and habitat

The distribution range of the species has contracted since its first identification, and is currently known from a declining population inhabiting Shark Bay on the western coast of Australia.[1] The leaf-scaled sea snake prefers waters up to 10 metres in depth.[3]

In December 2015 a population of the snakes was found living in seagrass beds of Shark Bay off Western Australia.[4] Previously, its only known habitats were some 1,700 km away in the Ashmore and Hibernia Reefs in the Timor Sea,[1] from where it had since disappeared.[5]

Conservation status

The range of Aipysurus foliosquama has significantly decreased and population is significantly declining, the IUCN lists their status as critically endangered.[1]

References
  1. Lukoschek, V. & Guinea, M. 2010. Aipysurus foliosquama. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. Downloaded on 18 July 2014.
  2. Sanders, K. (February 2013). "Australian endangered species: Sea snakes". The Conversation.
  3. http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=1118
  4. "Scientists discover rare sea snakes, previously thought extinct, off Western Australia". phys.org. December 21, 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  5. D'Anastasi, B.R.; van Herwerden, L.; Hobbs, J.A.; Simpfendorfer, C.A.; Lukoschek, V. (2016), "New range and habitat records for threatened Australian sea snakes raise challenges for conservation", Biological Conservation, 194: 66–70, doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.11.032


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