10.Sea Snakes 1

Sea snakes are reptiles and live only in the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans 2 They live in shallow water

There are about 50 different kinds and most are from 4 to 10 feet long 3 Some have bodies that get wider toward the tail

Some have tails that look like paddles which help them swim 4 Most sea snakes are dull green or light brown and some have yellow bellies Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

All sea snakes are poisonous and their venom is very strong 5 Sea snakes kill small fish with venom from their fangs

Sea snakes do not usually attack people 6 Sometimes they get caught in fishermen’s nets and they may bite when being freed from the nets

Most kinds of sea snakes give birth to live young 7 The young are born at sea

A few kinds of sea snakes lay eggs 8 These snakes leave the water when they are going to lay eggs which are usually laid on coral reefs

Like other water reptiles, sea snakes have lungs, not gills 9 But the nostrils and lungs of sea snakes are different from those of other water animals Oarfish Often mistaken as a sea snake

With their nostrils and lungs, sea snakes can take some oxygen directly out of the water 10 Sea snakes can stay underwater for up to 8 hours