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Olive Sea Snake

The olive sea snake is one of the most commonly found sea snake species in coral reef ecosystems of Australia. With its sleek body and paddle-shaped tail, this highly venomous marine reptile is adapted to life underwater.

 

Unlike land snakes, olive sea snakes are fully marine — they live their entire lives at sea and come to the surface only to breathe. They can grow over 1.25 meters (4.1 feet) long, with paddle-like tails that help them swim with ease. These snakes are most commonly found in coral reefs and shallow coastal waters, where they hunt crabs, fish, prawns, and fish eggs. Like most sea snakes, they are highly venomous, using their venom to subdue their prey.  

These sea snakes frequently seek shelter within coral crevices, and their tail has photoreceptors, allowing it to detect light and help ensure they are completely hidden. Their ability to spend so much time in the water is aided by their ability to eliminate carbon dioxide and take up oxygen through their skin. While they maintain a home range where they live and hunt, olive sea snakes are not known to be territorial.

 

 

Habitat degradation, particularly the degradation and bleaching of coral reefs due to climate change, poses a threat to the future of this species. As coral reef specialists, the loss of coral reefs as ocean temperatures warm jeopardizes the sea snakes’ long-term survival.

 

 

The climate crisis is wreaking havoc on our oceans and delicate coral reefs. Thankfully, the climate crisis is something we know how to combat, and our oceans can be a key player in this battle. By stopping the expansion of offshore drilling, rebuilding fisheries as a climate-friendly source of protein, and reducing the use of unnecessary single-use plastics that contribute to climate change during every stage of their life cycle, we can harness the ocean’s potential to secure a more sustainable and resilient future. Learn about Oceana’s work to tackle the climate crisis here.

 

 

  • Burns, G & Heatwole, H. (2000). Growth, sexual dimorphism, and population biology of the olive sea snake, Aipysurus laevis, on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Amphibia-Reptilia, 21(3), 289-300. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853800507480 
  • Heatwole, H. (1978). Adaptation of marine snakes. American Scientist, 66(5), 594-604. PMID: 717889 
  • IUCN Red List 
  • Laustsen, A. H., Gutiérrez, J. M., Redsted Rasmussen, A., Engmark, M., Gravlund, P., Sanders, K. L., Lohse, B., & Lomonte, B. (2015). Danger in the reef: proteome, toxicity, and neutralization of the venom of the olive sea snake, Aipysurus laevis. Toxicon, 107(Part B), 187-196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.07.008 
  • Sanders, K. L., Rasmussen, A. R., & Elmberg, J. (2012). Independent Innovation in the evolution of paddle-shaped tails in viviparous sea snakes (Elapidae: Hydrophiinae). Integrative and Comparative Biology, 52(2), 311–320. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/ics066 

 

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