Aipysurus, Lacepede, 1804

Rasmussen, Arne Redsted, Sanders, Kate Laura, Guinea, Michael L. & Amey, Andrew P., 2014, Sea snakes in Australian waters (Serpentes: subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae) - a review with an updated identification key, Zootaxa 3869 (4), pp. 351-371 : 359-362

A key to the genus Aipysurus in Australia

1.

A At least 180 ventral scales......................................................................... A. tenuis B Less than 180 ventral scales............................................................................ 2. 2.

A Ventrals with a deep notch in the posterior border ( Fig.5 top).................................................. 3. B Ventrals without or with only a slight median notch on the posterior border ( Fig.5 bottom)........................... 4. 3.

A Less than 19 scale rows around midbody and without prefrontal scales ( Fig.6 left)..................... A. apraefrontalis B At least 19 scale rows around midbody and with prefrontal scales ( Fig.6 right).......................... A. foliosquama 4.

A All head shields symmetrical and no supralabials divided horizontally ( Fig.7 left).......................... A. mosaicus B Head shields more or less broken up and some of the supralabials divided horizontally ( Fig.7 right)................... 5. 5.

A All head shields broken up into small irregular scales (fig.8)............................................ A. duboisii B Only some of the head shields broken up, especially parietals.................................................. 6. 6.

A At least 155 ventrals and less than 21 scale rows around midbody......................................... A. fuscus B Less than 155 ventrals and at least 21 scale rows around midbody................................ A. laevis / pooleorum

Figures

FIGURE 5. Ventrals with a deep notch in the posterior border (top): Aipysurus apraefrontalis and A. foliosquama. Ventrals without or with only a slight median notch on the posterior border (bottom).

FIGURE 6. Without prefrontal scales (left): A. apraefrontalis. With prefrontal scales (right).

FIGURE 7. No horizontal dividing of supralabials (top): A. mosaicus. Some of the supralabials divided horizontally (bottom).