Emydocephalus

Emydocephalus is a genus of sea snakes called turtle-headed sea snakes. These snakes belong to the family Elapidae. They are special because they do not have venom, making them the only sea snakes without venom. Most sea snakes have venom to help them catch food, but these snakes are different.

These snakes also lack teeth on certain bones in their mouths. Instead of sharp teeth, they have small, soft bumps called papillae. Even though they don’t have venom or many teeth, they still have small fangs and other tiny teeth. This is because they eat almost only fish eggs, which are small and cannot move.

Because their food is small and easy to catch, these snakes hunt more often but eat less at each meal. This makes them behave differently from most other snakes when looking for food. Their special way of eating and their lack of venom make Emydocephalus very interesting to scientists who study sea life.

Etymology

The name Emydocephalus comes from two Greek words. "Emys" means "turtle" and "kephale" means "head". This is why these snakes are sometimes called turtle-headed sea snakes.

Geographic range

Species of the genus Emydocephalus are found in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australasia.

Species

Emydocephalus has three recognized species. These are:

• Emydocephalus annulatus Krefft, 1869 - turtle-headed sea snake, egg-eating sea snake
• Emydocephalus ijimae Stejneger, 1898 - turtlehead sea snake
• Emydocephalus orarius Nankivell, Goiran, Hourston, Shine, Rasmussen, Thomson, & Sanders, 2020