Laticauda semifasciata

エラブウミヘビ

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出典(authority):フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』「2015/09/19 08:16:08」(JST)

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Black-banded sea krait
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Hydrophiidae or Elapidae
Genus:	Laticauda
Species:	L. semifasciata
Binomial name
Laticauda semifasciata (Reinwardt in Schlegel, 1837)
Synonyms
Platurus semifasciatus Reinwardt in Schlegel, 1837 Pseudolaticauda semifasciata (Reinwardt in Schlegel, 1837)

The black-banded sea krait, or Chinese sea snake (Laticauda semifasciata), known in Japan as erabu umi hebi (ja:エラブウミヘビ), and Okinawa as the irabu, is a member of the Laticauda genus of sea snakes. It is found in most of the warm waters of the western Pacific Ocean.

This high snake frequents coral reef areas. It has a short head, thick trunk, and no easily discernible neck. The tail is simply extended skin, spread wide like a fin, and unsupported by any projection. The stomach is comparatively wide. Massing together near the shore, they breed between narrow cracks in the reef and in caves. It is a nocturnal snake, rarely seen during the day. It requires oxygen to breathe, so breaks the surface at least once every six hours.

It is too slow to catch fish in a straight chase, so it hunts for fish hiding in the coral. Alternately, gathering in the hundreds, black-banded sea kraits form hunting alliances with yellow goatfish and bluefin trevally, flushing potential prey from narrow crannies in a reef the same way some moray eels do. The bite is highly venomous and paralyzes the prey. Females lay their eggs on land.

Generally, the species is found in Fiji, southern Japan and Singapore. Their venom is ten times stronger than that of a cobra, making them extremely dangerous. Fortunately, this snake does not bite humans unless it feels threatened.

The erabu snake is a winter staple in southern Japan, where it is believed to replenish a female's womanhood. Irabu soup irabu-jiru (ja:イラブー汁) is said to taste like miso and a bit like tuna. This soup was a part of the royal court cuisine of Ryukyu Kingdom; it is thought to have analeptic properties.

Life history

Male and female snakes reach sexual maturity at snout-vent lengths of 70 and 80 cm, respectively. Females lay 3–7 eggs that hatch after 4–5 months. It can reach 170 cm in total length.

References

• Schlegel, Hermann (1837). Essai sur la Physionomie des Serpens, Volume 1. Amsterdam: Schonekat. p. 516.

English Journal

• Geographic genetic structure in two laticaudine sea kraits, Laticauda laticaudata and Laticauda semifasciata (Serpentes: Elapidae), in the Ryukyu-Taiwan region as inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences.

• Tandavanitj N1, Ota H, Cheng YC, Toda M.
• Zoological science.Zoolog Sci.2013 Aug;30(8):633-41. doi: 10.2108/zsj.30.633.
• The Ryukyu-Taiwan region is an island arch with intervening waters of varying distances and depths. This study examines the geographic genetic structure of two sympatric sea kraits, Laticauda laticaudata and L. semifasciata, in the region, to infer factors affecting the extent of dispersal and other
• PMID 23915156

• Comparison of freshwater discrimination ability in three species of sea kraits (Laticauda semifasciata, L. laticaudata and L. colubrina).

• Kidera N1, Mori A, Tu MC.
• Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology.J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol.2013 Mar;199(3):191-5. doi: 10.1007/s00359-012-0782-6. Epub 2012 Dec 6.
• Three species of amphibious sea kraits (Laticauda spp.) require drinking freshwater to regulate water balance. The extent of terrestriality is known to differ among them. Species with higher extent of terrestriality would drink freshwater accumulated on land, whereas less terrestrial species would r
• PMID 23224248

• Structural characteristics and evolution of the Protobothrops elegans pancreatic phospholipase A2 gene in contrast with those of Protobothrops genus venom phospholipase A2 genes.

• Chijiwa T1, Nakasone H, Irie S, Ikeda N, Tomoda K, Oda-Ueda N, Hattori S, Ohno M.
• Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry.Biosci Biotechnol Biochem.2013;77(1):97-102. Epub 2013 Jan 7.
• The nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding Protobothrops elegans (Crotalinae) pancreatic phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)), abbreviated PePancPLA(2), was determined by means of inverted PCR techniques. Since its deduced amino acid sequence contains a pancreatic loop and shows high similarity to that of
• PMID 23291767

Japanese Journal

• Geographic Genetic Structure in Two Laticaudine Sea Kraits, Laticauda laticaudata and Laticauda semifasciata (Serpentes: Elapidae), in the Ryukyu-Taiwan Region as Inferred from Mitochondrial Cytochrome b Sequences

• Zoological science 30(8), 633-641, 2013-08
• NAID 40019728931

• Structural Characteristics and Evolution of the Protobothrops elegans Pancreatic Phospholipase A₂ Gene in Contrast with Those of Protobothrops Genus Venom Phospholipase A₂ Genes

• Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry 77(1), 97-102, 2013-01-23
• NAID 10031164697

• Origins of <i>Laticauda laticaudata</i> and <i>Laticauda semifasciata</i> (Elapidae: Laticaudinae) Individuals Collected from the Main Islands of Japan as Inferred from Molecular Data

• Current Herpetology 32(2), 135-141, 2013
• NAID 130003366907

Related Links

• Laticauda semifasciata (Chinese Sea Snake)

Habitat and Ecology: Sea snakes of the genus Laticauda are amphibious to some degree, leaving the water regularly. Oviparous females deposit their eggs on land (Guinea 1994). They inhabit shallow tropical seas and coral reefs.

• Black-banded sea krait (Laticauda semifasciata)

The highly venomous black-banded sea krait (Laticauda semifasciata) can be identified by the distinctive black or dark brown bands... ... The black-banded sea krait is amphibious in nature and so lives in both a marine and terrestrial ...

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