Sea snakes (Serpentes: subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae) in Vietnam: a comprehensive checklist and an updated identification key Author Rasmussen, Arne Redsted Author Elmberg, Johan Author Gravlund, Peter Author Ineich, Ivan text Zootaxa 2011 2894 1 20 journal article 46820 10.5281/zenodo.277666 479010ae-6e99-4cc9-b4d3-b39ccc814f9a 1175-5326 277666 Laticauda Laurenti Laticauda colubrina (Schneider) : ( McCarthy, 1986 ; Heatwole et al. , 2005 ; Kharin, 2006 ). Diagnostic characters: Head shields large, nasals separated by internasals, upper lips yellow. Scale rows around neck 21–23; scale rows around body 21–25; ventrals 213–245. Colouration: Body bluish-grey above, yellow or whitish below, with black bands of more or less uniform width throughout. Head black except snout, upper lips and a stripe extending back above the eye to the temporal region, which are all yellow. Size: 142 cm . General distribution: Indo-Malayan Archipelago, South China Sea, Philippines , Indonesia , Australian region east to Fiji and Vanuatu ( David & Ineich, 1999 ; Heatwole et al. , 2005 ; Cogger & Heatwole, 2006 ). Laticauda laticaudata (Linnaeus) : not yet found in Vietnamese waters. Diagnostic characters Head shields large, nasals separated by internasals, upper lips dark. Scale rows around neck 19; scale rows around body 19; ventrals 225–243. Colouration: Body bluish-grey above, yellow or whitish below, with black bands. Head with a pale horseshoe-shaped mark above, which may or may not curve down behind eye. Size: 110 cm . General distribution : Andaman Sea, Indo-Malayan Archipelago, Gulf of Thailand , South China Sea, Philippines , Indonesia and Australian region ( Smith, 1926 ; McCarthy, 1986 ; Zhao & Adler, 1993 ; David & Ineich, 1999 ; Heatwole et al. , 2005 ). Laticauda semifasciata (Reinwardt in Schlegel): not yet found in Vietnamese waters ( Kharin, 2009 ). Diagnostic characters Head shields large, nasals separated by internasals, upper lips dark. Scale rows around neck 21–23; scale rows around body 21–23; ventrals 195–210. Colouration: Body bluish-grey green above, yellowish below, with black bands. Head dark brown with a yellow curved mark above, connecting posteriorly with yellow band at back of head. With age, become brownish and markings less apparent ( Smith, 1926 ). Size: 135 cm . General distribution : Philippines , China , Taiwan , Japan and Russia ( Smith, 1926 ; Zhao & Adler, 1993 ; David & Ineich, 1999 ; Kharin, 2009 ).