THE REPTILES OF AUSTRALIA - Cocos Keeling Islands

AUSTRALIAN REPTILE & AMPHIBIAN PHOTOS WITH INFORMATION
Covering Australian Snakes and Lizards, Crocodiles, Turtles and Amphibians

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REPTILES OF COCOS KEELING ISLANDS
(AUSTRALIAN TERRITORY)

HOME SEA SNAKES - Hydrophiinae Laticaudidae Sea Kraits BLIND SNAKES - Worm Snakes - Typhlopidae Ramphotyphlops TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines GECKO LIZARDS Gekkonidae SKINKS

Note that a roadkilled Children's Python (Antaresia childreni) has also been recorded from West Island, presumably it was an escaped pet or a stowaway.

 

Mourning Gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris

GECKOS

 

COMMON NAME

(Internal Links)

Scientific Name

DISTRIBUTION

(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)

Skin-shedding Dtella

Gehyra mutilata

CI (introduced), CKI

Asian House Gecko (Introduced)

Hemidactylus frenatus

CI, CKI, LHI, NI, NT, Qld, WA, NSW, Vic?

Flat-tailed House Gecko (Introduced)

Hemidactylus (was Cosymbotus platyurus)

CKI (also southeastern and Southern Asia including Bali)

Sri Lankan House Gecko
or Spotted House Gecko
(Introduced)

Hemidactylus parvimaculatus

CKI (Also Sri Lanka & India)

Mourning Gecko

Lepidodactylus lugubris

CKI, Qld (also many tropical islands and countries around the world)

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SKINKS

Common Name (Internal Links)
Scientific Name
Distribution (Distribution key and map at bottom of page)
Blue-tailed Shinning (Snake-eyed) Skink Cryptoblepharus egeriae CI (extinct in the wild)
CKI (deliberately introduced to save the species)

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BLIND SNAKES

* Indicates recent updates or new page.

COMMON NAME (INTERNAL LINK)

SCIENTIFIC NAME (EXTERNAL LINK)

Distribution

Flowerpot Blind Snake or Brahminy Blind Snake

Indotyphlops (was Ramphotyphlops) braminus

NT, Qld, WA, CI, CKI (Introduced to Australia)

S.E. Asia, Pacific Islands

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SEA SNAKES

 


Sea Snakes are often placed in their own family, however many experts now consider them to be in the Elapid family

All true Sea Snakes and Sea Kraits have a paddle shaped tail

All Sea Snakes and Sea Kraits all have fangs at the front of their mouths and most are believed to have extremely potent venom, however bites to humans are rare and snakes in the Emydocephalus genus are not considered dangerous due to a highly degenerated venom system!


Family Elapidae
Subfamily Hydrophiinae (True Sea Snakes)

(Previously Family Hydrophiidae)

TABLE 1 - TRUE SEA SNAKES
THESE SNAKES ARE LIVEBEARERS THAT SPEND THEIR ENTIRE LIFE IN WATER

Common Name

Scientific Name

Distribution

Common Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

Hydrophis (was Pelamis) platurus platurus

NSW, NT, Qld, Tas, Vic, WA, CKI, SA?

SEA KRAITS

Sea Kraits are often been placed in their own families, however now many experts consider them to be in the Elapid family

Family Elapidae
Subfamily Hydrophiinae (Sea Snakes)

(Previously Family Laticaudidae)

TABLE 2 - SEA KRAITS
THESE SNAKES ARE EGGLAYERS THAT LAY THEIR EGGS ON LAND

Scientific Name

Common Name

Distribution

Laticauda colubrina

Wide-faced or Yellow Lipped Sea Krait

NSW, Qld, CKI

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SEA TURTLES

Note that although Sea Turtles may stray into or spend time in cooler water, the females must return to warmer climates to lay their eggs.

Common Name

 

Scientific Name
(Subgenus in parentheses)

 

DISTRIBUTION
(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)

Pacific Loggerhead Turtle

Caretta caretta gigas

(All States)

Pacific Green Turtle

Chelonia mydas japonica

(All States)

Hawksbill Turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata bissa

(NSW, NT, Qld, Tas, Vic)

Pacific Ridley Turtle

Lepidochelys olivacea

(NT, Qld?, WA, Vic, SA?)

Leathery or Luth Turtle

Dermochelys coriacea

(All States)


HYBRIDS

Note that these hybrids occur in the wild

 Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) × Pacific Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) × Kemp's Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) × Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) × Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas)

Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) × Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas)

Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) × Pacific Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

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DISTRIBUTION KEY

Click on the abbreviation below to see a map of the area

CKI = Cocos (Keeling) Island

NSW = New South Wales

Qld = Queensland

Tas = Tasmania

Vic = Victoria

ACT = Australian Capital Territory
(Canberra region only - excludes Jervis Bay Territory)



Australia map

LINKS OF INTEREST

Cocos Keeling Islands

Fauna of the Cocos Keeling Islands
Wikipedia

Sea Snakes of Australia
MESA

Sea Snakes
School of Biomedical Sciences 

Australian Sea Snakes
Facebook


RECOMMENDED AMAZON BOOKS
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_ Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation

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OTHER LINKS

Find a Random Species of Australian Reptile


Visit the Australian Herpetology Website









AUSTRALIAN REPTILE SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY

Reptiles of South Australia
REPTILES OF VICTORIA
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Reptiles of Tasmania




Reptiles of Lord Howe Island

Reptiles of Christmas Island

Reptiles
of Cocos Keeling Islands

Reptiles of Norfolk Island









Sea Turtles of the World TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines Geckos Geckos SEA SNAKES - Hydrophiinae Laticaudidae Sea Kraits Blind Snakes Reptilesofaustralia.com

Sea Turtles
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Geckos
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Sea Snakes of Australia

Blind Snakes
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Contact John Fowler Author of the Australian Herpetology Website

John Hollister (deceased 2023) - Author of the Sweetwater, Texas Rattlesnake Roundup

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Updated September 4, 2024


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