AUSTRALIAN BIODIVERSITY RECORD - Calodema

Australian Biodiversity Record, 2007 (8): 1-124Etymology: The name 'eydouxii' honours the French naturalist Joseph Fortune TheodoreEydoux (1803-1841).Family EphalophiidaeThis Family contains only the genera Ephalophis Smith, 1931, and Parahydrophis Burger andNatsuno, 1974 [see also Kharin (2006)].Genus Ephalophis Smith, 1931Ephalophis Smith, M.A. (1931): Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1931: 397-398 [397]. Type species:Ephalophis greyi Smith, 1931 by monotypy.Diagnosis: A monotypic genus of small snakes of the family Ephalophiidae, readily identifiedby the following combination of characters: Head shields large and symmetrical; preocularpresent; valvular nostrils and lingual fossa; 7-8 maxillary teeth following fang; rostral with amedian sharp fold located within the mouth, behind the median and undivided lingual fossa,this fold formed from the posterior edge of the portion of the keratinized scale extending withinthe lining of the lip; preocular large; nasal does not contact preocular; 1 postocular; temporals1+2; supralabials 6; 3rd and 4th supralabials contacting orbit; posterior chin shields large andbordering mental groove separated by small scale; ventrals 151-184; ventrals large, almost asbroad as body, each about 3-5 times the width of adjacent body scales; body scales imbricatewith spine-like to blunt keels posteriorly, but smooth laterally and becoming juxtaposed onventrolateral margins; mid-body scales in 19 or 21 rows; anal divided; subcaudals 24-33entire; tail strongly compressed vertically, but not as high as body; ovoviviparous. Etymology:The name Ephalophis means ‘snake by the sea’, and is derived from the Greek ‘ephalos’ - bythe sea, and ‘ophis’ - snake. Content: Ephalophis greyae Smith, 1931.Ephalophis greyae Smith, 1931Ephalophis greyi Smith, M.A. (1931). Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1931: 397-398 [397, pl. 1]. Typedata: holotype BMNH 1946.1.6.92. Type locality: Cape Boileau, WA.Description: This is a rather diminutive species of seasnake, with a small head that is barelydistinct from the neck, a gracile but solid body, with a tail that is much reduced in its lowerlateral compression height. The body varies from pale brownish to creamish with a series ofdark grey blotch-like bands (about 25 to 40) which extend from the head along the body to thetail; there are around 7-8 rings of dark grey on the tail. The markings are broadest along thedorsum, and often these dark botches may coalesce to form an irregular, wavy zig-zagpattern along the vertebral line. Immature specimens tend to be paler with stronger blackishbanding. Some significant morphological characters of this species are: Head shields largeand symmetrical; rostral with a median sharp fold located within the mouth, behind themedian and undivided lingual fossa, this fold formed from the posterior edge of the portion ofthe keratinized scale extending within the lining of the lip; preocular present; nasal does notcontact preocular; postocular single; temporals 1+2; supralabials 6; 3rd and 4th supralabialscontacting orbit; posterior chin shields large and bordering mental groove separated by smallscale; 7-8 maxillary teeth follow fang; body scales imbricate with spine-like to blunt keelsposteriorly, but smooth and juxtaposed ventro-laterally; mid-body scales in 19 or 21 rows;ventrals about 151-184; ventrals large, almost as broad as body, each about 3-5 times thewidth of adjacent body scales; anal divided; subcaudals 24-33 entire; unlike most other seasnakes, the vertically compressed tail is noticeably down-curved and not as high as the body.Attains a maximum snout-vent length of only around 50-65 cm.Distribution: Known only from the mid-west, and north-west coast of Western Australia, fromKing George Sound on the Kimberley coast, south to about Shark Bay.Habitat: Largely restricted to mangrove flats, river deltas and estuaries in relatively shallowcontinental waters.Biology/Ecology: This is mainly a nocturnal species, although it has been observed activeduring daylight foraging on low-tide mud-flats. The diet is fishes - mainly comprising mud-18