Disteira
| Disteira | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Hydrophiidae |
| Genus: | Disteira |
| Species | |
|
Disteira kingii | |
Disteira is a genus of sea snakes.
History
Disteira was characterized by Boulenger in 1890 as having grooved maxillary teeth following the first pair of poison fangs.[1] However, later dental examination under more powerful magnification found all sea snakes have grooves in their teeth,[2] some deep and wide channels visible to the naked eye, others only at the base of the tooth and requiring magnification to observe.[3] In light of those new findings, Disteira and Hydrophis were merged until McDowell resurrected Disteira as a separate genus in 1972 to accommodate new species.[4] He redefined Disteira as possessing a broad dorsal portion of the venom gland muscle called the Oxyuranus pattern.[5]
Although McDowell rolled the monotypic genus Astrotia - which contains only Stoke's seasnake - into Disteira, that classification is not widely adopted.[5]
References
- ↑ Boulenger, George Albert (1890), "Reptilia and Batrachia", Fauna of British India, Taylor and Francis
- ↑ Stejneger, Leonhard (1907), Herpetology of Japan and Adjacent Territory, Harvard University, p. 418
- ↑ Denburgh, J.V.; Thompson, J.C. (December 31, 1908), "Description of a New Species of Sea Snake from the Philippine Islands", California Academy of Sciences, 3: 41–42
- ↑ Gopalakrishnakone, P (1994), Sea Snake Toxinology, NUS Press, p. 177, ISBN 9971-69-193-0
- 1 2 Roger S. Thorpe; Wolfgang Wüster; Anita Malhotra (1997), Venomous Snakes: Ecology, Evolution, and Snakebite, Oxford University Press, pp. 15–21, ISBN 0-19-854986-5