Hydrophis donaldi

Description

Hydrophis donaldi, or the rough-scaled sea snake is a unique species of sea snakes from Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria first described for the scientific literature in 2012. It is a yellow to brown, striped snake that reaches up to a meter in length. It gives live birth and is venomous enough to be dangerous to humans. The primary distinguishing trait of the rough-scaled sea snake is the presence of a single spine on every scale covering the snake's body. The snake's tough, spiny scales may protect it from being buffeted against the rocks of its stony estuary habitats by the action of the waves and currents. Other less spectacular traits distinguishing it from other members of the genus Hydrophis include the lack of a groove running through the scales underlying its abdomen, a larger and rounder skull, differing numbers of scales around the circumference of different bodily regions, and a larger number of stripes than many sea snakes have.