Ecology Summary - Laticauda colubrina

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Ecology of Laticauda colubrina

Main Ref.	Ineich, I. and P. Laboute, 2002
Remarks	It is found in fringing reefs and is observed to rest on rock crevices near the water edge (Ref. 88090). Also found in the open ocean, in mangroves and coral islands, usually in shallow waters (Ref. 98471). Emerges from rocks to feed in the sea (Ref. 75610). Forages on eels in shallow coastal waters and goes back to land to slough and digest its prey (Ref. 98471). Exhibits sex divergence in dietary habits, wherein adult females feed mainly on large conger eels and take only a single prey item while adult males feed on smaller moray eels and constantly ingest multiple prey items (Ref. 74654). It seeks shelter in vegetation, beneath rocks, within crevices and caves on land (Ref. 98471). Also found along the roads and some low mountains (Ref. 2355). More terrestrial in habits than Laticauda laticaudata, its congener (Ref. 98471).

Main Ref.

Ineich, I. and P. Laboute, 2002

Remarks

It is found in fringing reefs and is observed to rest on rock crevices near the water edge (Ref. 88090). Also found in the open ocean, in mangroves and coral islands, usually in shallow waters (Ref. 98471). Emerges from rocks to feed in the sea (Ref. 75610). Forages on eels in shallow coastal waters and goes back to land to slough and digest its prey (Ref. 98471). Exhibits sex divergence in dietary habits, wherein adult females feed mainly on large conger eels and take only a single prey item while adult males feed on smaller moray eels and constantly ingest multiple prey items (Ref. 74654). It seeks shelter in vegetation, beneath rocks, within crevices and caves on land (Ref. 98471). Also found along the roads and some low mountains (Ref. 2355). More terrestrial in habits than Laticauda laticaudata, its congener (Ref. 98471).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Laticauda colubrina may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: mobile; Hard Bottom: rocky;
Substrate Ref.	Dunson, W.A. and S.A. Minton, 1978
Special habitats	Coral Reefs;
Special habitats Ref.	Cogger, H., 2007

Associations

Ref.
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	IUCN, 2014
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	IUCN, 2014

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	4.50	0.80			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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