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Family : ELAPIDAE (Hydrophiinae)
Species : Aipysurus laevis
Maximum Size : 2 metres The Olive Sea Snake is
perhaps the commonest true sea snake in the tropical waters south of Papua
New Guinea. It inhabits coral reefs and rocky coastlines to depths of up to
45 metres.
The upper body is purplish grey or dark brown, and the head light to medium
brown. Commonly, though not always, there are creamy scales along the body.
The head is short and of equal width as the stocky body. The nostrils are
valved, thus preventing water ingress. The tail is paddle-shaped with a
raised ridge running along its length. The eyes are small.
As with all true sea snakes, live young are born at sea. Adults need to
surface every half an hour to breathe fresh air. The species feeds on fish
and crustaceans, and is active both day and night.
Sea Snakes are highly venomous and should be treated with caution, though in
reality they are generally not aggressive in temperament. Bites from the
Olive Sea Snake are rare.
The Olive Sea Snake occurs in the Timor Sea, throughout the northern and
north-eastern coasts of Australia, and in the Coral Sea and other areas
south of Papua New Guinea.
Fig 1 : The paddle-shaped tail is typical of all true
sea snakes.
Fig 2 : Photographed in the Coral Sea, south of Papua New Guinea, at a depth of
20 metres.
Fig 3 : The clear, tropical seas of eastern
Indonesia, support populations of Aipysurus laevis.
Figs 1 and 2 thanks to Bruce Paterson
References :
O'Shea, M., 1996. A Guide to the Snakes of Papua New Guinea. Independent
Publishing Group Pty Ltd. |
