Diversity, Distribution, and Ecology of Philippine Marine Snakes (Reptilia, Serpentes)

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Abstract
An intensive search for marine snakes was carried out in the course of a 5 wk cruise among the Philippine Islands in Aug. and Sept. of 1975. The Visayan Sea was by far the most productive area found, especially near the Gigante Islands. In this area 12 spp. [Acrochordus granulatus, Laticauda semifasciata, L. colubrina, L. laticaudata, Lapemis hardwickii, Pelamis platurus, Astrotia stokesii, Hydrophis ornatus, H. inornatus H. cyanocinctus, H. belcheri and H. fasciatus] were sympatric on shoals of 5-20 m depth. A 13th sp. (Cerberus rhynchops), a mangrove form, was found nearby. Two hydrophiid species, H. ornatus and L. semifasciata were numerically dominant on the offshore shoals; the former was nocturnal and the latter diurnal. In the mangroves the nocturnal colubrid C. rhynchops and the acrochordid A. granulatus were common. L. colubrina was a nocturnal shallow water reef and mangrove form. No snakes were found in shallow coastal waters of the Sulu Sea which appeared superficially to be a suitable habitat. Two individuals of A. stokesii caught at the Gigante Islands represent the 1st record of this species in the Philippines.

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