Beaked sea snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaked sea snake |
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| Genus: |
Hydrophis
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| Species: |
schistosus
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The Hydrophis schistosus, also known as the beaked sea snake or hook-nosed sea snake, is a very venomous type of sea snake. You can find it in the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific region. This snake is known for causing many sea snake bites. It is also responsible for most serious poisonings and deaths from sea snake bites.
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What Does the Beaked Sea Snake Look Like?
This snake has a unique nose scale that looks like a hook. Its body is usually dark grey on top. The sides and belly are whitish. Young snakes might be olive or grey with black bands across their bodies. These bands are widest in the middle.
The name Vala Kadiyan comes from the Tamil language. Valakadyn in Malayalam means "net biter." This name likely comes from how these snakes are often found in fishing nets.
Where Do Beaked Sea Snakes Live?
You can find the beaked sea snake in many places. They live in the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. This includes countries like Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
They also live near the Seychelles and Madagascar. In South Asia, they are found off the coasts of Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. In Southeast Asia, they live near Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Snakes found near Australia and New Guinea are now considered a different species. They are called Enhydrina zweifeli. This was discovered through DNA tests.
How Do Beaked Sea Snakes Behave?
These snakes mostly live near the coasts and islands of India. They are one of the most common sea snake types in that area. There are about 20 kinds of sea snakes there.
They are active both during the day and at night. Beaked sea snakes can dive very deep, up to 100 meters (about 330 feet). They can stay underwater for up to five hours before needing to come up for air. Sea snakes have special glands to get rid of extra salt from their bodies.
These snakes are known to be quite aggressive. Some experts describe them as "cantankerous and savage." This means they can be grumpy and fierce. Their main food is fish.
Understanding Their Venom
The venom of the beaked sea snake is very strong. It contains powerful neurotoxins and myotoxins. Neurotoxins affect the nervous system. Myotoxins damage muscles.
This snake is responsible for most deaths from sea snake bites. In fact, it causes up to 90% of all sea snake bite deaths. Just a very small amount of its venom, about 1.5 milligrams, is enough to be deadly to humans.
