A medium-sized snake that averages 60 cm but may reach a meter in length. It is the most widely distributed sea snake in the world and is found in most warm oceans.
Full Name: Yellow-bellied Sea Snake (Hydrophis platura)
Other Names: Pelagic Sea Snake, Geelpensseeslang
Classification: HIGHLY VENOMOUS
A medium-sized snake that averages 60 cm but may reach a meter in length. It is the most widely distributed sea snake in the world and is found in most warm oceans. This is a deep-sea or pelagic species that is largely surface-dwelling where it floats around in currents, often among floating debris such as seaweed and floating branches and logs.
It is an accomplished diver and can dive more than 50 m deep and stay submerged for more than three hours. The tail is flattened and used as a paddle. They feed largely on small fish, and the venom is largely neurotoxic and is potentially lethal. These snakes are sometimes washed up on the southern and eastern coasts of southern Africa. Beached snakes are usually sick or dying and don’t often survive.
