Lake Taal Snake
Hydrophis semperi
- Vulnerable
- Card rarity: Rare
- Reptiles
Hydrophis semperi, commonly known as the Lake Taal snake, Garman's sea snake, the Philippine freshwater sea snake, and the Luzon sea snake, is a rare species of venomous sea snake endemic to Taal Lake on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is noted for being one of only two known species of sea snakes that are known to be found almost-exclusively in freshwater and being a very young species, having only evolved after being separated from the ocean in the 16th Century. The only other freshwater sea snake species is Hydrophis sibauensis, while a third species, Laticauda crockeri, occurs in a brackish lake.
Classification
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Elapidae
- Genus
- Hydrophis