Snakes are one of the animals that can be found in almost all places, except in Antarctica and its surroundings. Snakes are also feared because they can cause serious harm, injury, and even death to the human population.
Not only on land, snakes can also be found in the sea. Compared to land snakes, sea snakes are generally more shy and timid. However, sea snakes are known to have venom that is lethal to humans in very small amounts.
Although most sea snakes are more venomous than land snakes, the number of humans injured by sea snakes is less due to infrequent contact with humans. In fact, many of them have never had any human contact at all. Even so, you still need to be aware of the presence of these snakes while in the water.
The following will discuss some of the most dangerous sea snakes.
1. Olive-headed sea snake
The olive-headed sea snake is considered one of the most venomous snakes in the world. This snake has a length of up to 1 m, the body is yellow to cream with dark brown stripes, and the head is olive.
This snake lives in the west-central Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. They prefer to hunt at night and only occasionally come out of hiding during the day to breathe. They rarely bite people, but their bites are highly venomous and can be fatal.
2. Yellow-bellied sea snake
The yellow-bellied sea snake was first discovered in the 1700s. They are sea snakes endemic to the West Coast of North America, North South America, Southeast Asia, and the coast of Africa.
This snake can only grow as long as 89 cm as an adult. Very small indeed, but according to the Owlcation page , this sea snake is very dangerous and has the ability to injure and kill humans with relative ease.
3. Beaked sea snake
This snake has a strong body, wide back, and a short and thick tail. It has a head slightly wider than the anterior part of the body and faint dark markings forming a series of transverse bands.
According to Ecology Asia, the beaked sea snake is considered one of the most venomous snakes in the genus Hydrophis. They are also very aggressive. It is estimated that this snake is responsible for nine out of every ten deaths from sea snake bites.
4. Hardwicke’s sea snake
This snake can be found throughout the waters of the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and parts of the Pacific. This snake is easily recognizable because of its short body, has a sturdy neck and head, wide nostrils, and a relatively uniform olive or dark gray color.
Hardwicke’s sea snake is a species of highly venomous snake in the family Elapidae, according to the Owlcation page . They are usually not aggressive, but are actually capable of injuring humans around them with ease.
5. Zweifel beaked snake
The Zweifel’s beaked is endemic to the waters of Papua New Guinea and the coast of Australia. When mature, this snake can reach 1.5 meters in length, making it one of the largest sea snakes in the world. This snake can be easily identified by its elongated head, round snout, and grayish-brown color.
They are highly venomous snakes from the Elapidae family. According to the DoveMed page , snake bites are usually painless and so often go unnoticed. However, its bite can cause life-threatening fatal poisoning if not treated quickly and properly.
Snake venom consists of a mixture of potent neurotoxins and myotoxins, which can cause systemic symptoms, such as severe fatigue, muscle weakness, respiratory failure, and complete paralysis. Symptoms of a snakebite usually appear a few hours after the bite.
6. Banded sea kraits
Banded sea kraits are sea snakes that like to hunt eels. Reported by the Oceana page , they paralyze their prey with a strong poison and swallow it whole.
These snakes are available in abundance in the oceans. In fact, sometimes, they are caught in fishing nets or traps. Although these snakes have a strong venom, they are docile snakes that often prefer not to bite.
7. Dubois reef
The Dubois reef sea snake lives around New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, and the northern coast of Australia. They have a brown base color with a net-like pattern. According to the AZ Animals page, this snake has shorter fangs, but can release a very strong venom.
The Dubois reef sea snake is a very dangerous species, even capable of injuring and killing humans with just one bite. This snake is believed to be active mainly at dawn and dusk, making it a crepuscular species.
For those of you who like underwater activities, as much as possible avoid touching animals or plants that are there. Because you don’t know if they are dangerous and can hurt you. Moreover, marine animals are more likely to attack and injure them when they are disturbed.