Hook-nosed sea snake, Common sea snake, Valakadyn sea snake, Enhydrina schistosa, Beaked sea snake, Hook-nosed sea snake, Common sea snake, Valakadeyan sea snake
Enhydrina schistosa, commonly known as the beaked sea snake, hook-nosed sea snake, common sea snake, or the Valakadeyan sea snake, is a highly venomous species of sea snake common throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific. This species is implicated in more than 50% of all bites caused by sea snakes, as well as the majority of envenomings and fatalities.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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AquaticAn aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract ...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Sea snakes, or coral reef snakes, are a subfamily of elapid snakes that inhabit marine environments for most or all of their lives. Most are venomo...
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VenomousVenom is a type of poison, especially one secreted by an animal. It is delivered in a bite, sting, or similar action. Venom has evolved in terrestr...
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DangerousDangerous animals demonstrate aggression and a propensity to attack or harass people or other animals without provocation.
Highly venomous animals are able to produce the most toxic venom which is considered to be one of the most debilitating and potentially deadly.
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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starts withThe Beaked sea snake is a highly venomous species of sea snake common throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific. It is usually uniformly dark grey above; sides and lower parts are whitish. Young specimens are olive or grey with black transverse bands, broadest in the middle.
Beaked sea snakes are found in the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf (off Oman), south of the Seychelles and Madagascar, the seas off South Asia (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), Southeast Asia (Myanmar (formerly Burma), Thailand, Vietnam). These snakes are generally found in shallow waters with muddy or sandy bottoms, estuaries, river mouths, and coastal lagoons and islands.
Beaked sea snakes are active both during the day and at night. They are able to dive up to 100 m and stay underwater for a maximum of five hours before resurfacing. Sea snakes are equipped with glands to eliminate excess salt. They are venomous and notably aggressive, with some herpetologists describing them as "cantankerous and savage". About 1.5 milligrams of their venom is estimated to be lethal.
The venom of this species is made up of highly potent neurotoxins and myotoxins. This widespread species is responsible for the vast majority of deaths from sea snake bites (up to 90% of all sea snake bites). The LD50 value is 0.1125 mg/kg based on toxicology studies. The average venom yield per bite is approximately 7.9–9.0 mg, while the lethal human dose is estimated to be 1.5 mg.
Beaked sea snakes are carnivores (piscivores) and feed exclusively on fish.
Beaked sea snakes give birth to a large number of live young that can reach 30 or even more. Young snakes usually spend 6-12 months in the shallow water before they are ready to leave out to sea. Reproductive maturity is reached at around 18 months of age and females usually give birth to the first clutch of young when they are around 24 months old.
The main threats to Beaked sea snakes include pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, and collection for their venom and skins.
According to IUCN, the Beaked sea snake is common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
