BajaNomad - Yellow Bellied Sea Snake ? Venomous ?

Yellow Bellied Sea Snake ? Venomous ?

CaboSur - 3-13-2015 at 05:22 PM

Yellow Bellied Sea Snake
Found this snake ALIVE on the beach in front of the Grand Mayan in San Jose del Cabo.
Don't know anything about them. Approx. 16 inches long . very vibrant yellow and white

ElCap - 3-13-2015 at 05:32 PM

I've seen them on the mainland side, and occasionally in the SOC. They are definitely venomous, but not really aggressive. Always startling to bump into one when snorkeling.

woody with a view - 3-13-2015 at 05:36 PM

they kill dogs regularly. pick it up and put it back. the only place they can bite you is fingertips, webs between fingers or lips/ears. in Oaxaca the local said the venom sack was so far away from the teeth that any sane person would pull it of them before a serious dose was administered.

Katiejay99 - 3-13-2015 at 05:41 PM

The yellow-bellied sea snake is reported to be among the more docile of sea snake species, but its venom is a potent nerve toxin that acts by blocking transmission of messages from nerves to muscles. Apparently, however, sea snakes do not usually inject their toxin when biting defensively and two of three defensive bites involve no toxin. The greatest number of sea snake bites to humans are reported from the Philippines and southeastern Asia where snakes are accidentally caught in fishing nets. Fatal bites result in death from respiratory, heart, or kidney failure. Less severe cases result in breakdown of muscle tissue and kidney damage, but victims recover without long-term effects if effective antivenom is received.

Since yellow-bellied sea snakes are only rarely found close to shore (when wind or currents cause beach strandings), they pose less of a danger than the inshore species of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Once ashore, the ocean-going yellow-bellied sea snake cannot crawl because of its tapered belly. While there are occasional sightings of yellow-bellied sea snakes in Hawaiian waters and rare beach strandings (sometimes coinciding with El Nino Current years), there have been no reports of bites from yellow-bellied sea snakes in Hawaii.

Edit to say I copied this information from here:
http://www.waikikiaquarium.org/experience/animal-guide/repti...

[Edited on 3-14-2015 by Katiejay99]

woody with a view - 3-13-2015 at 05:47 PM

they were not rare in the surf zone in Oaxaca.

55steve - 3-13-2015 at 06:49 PM

I used to see venomous sea snakes quite frequently when I was surfing in Vietnam - I had no idea they were here as well! Learned something new today!

Snakers

captkw - 3-13-2015 at 06:53 PM

Saw them while doing dive charters in costa rico...even had one fool that wanted to go back in and swim with them and take pics up close !! started motor and left...

basautter - 3-13-2015 at 06:58 PM

They are venomous, but do not bite unless they are being defensive. If you see one while diving, just let them do their thing. Their mouths are very small. I can see how a dog could get bitten, so be careful.

Pompano - 3-13-2015 at 06:59 PM

About 12 years ago, I was launching a boat with my fishing buddy at the Serinadad river-ramp in the pre-dawn darkness. As I was wading in the shallow muck next to the boat's bow holding a flashlight, a critter very much like that slithered across my left foot, which thankfully was in a water-booty. Docile or not, that critter sliding over my foot kind of spooked me...and I opened a couple Pacificos earlier than normal that day.

Over the years since, I've told Co-pilot about it a few times and she has gradually become convinced it was a close encounter of the poisonous kind and I am very brave for not running screaming into the dark like my buddy said I did...

AKgringo - 3-13-2015 at 07:47 PM

We used to see them very often around the Manzanillo, Barra de Navidad area on the mainland. What surprised me is that we would encounter them while snorkeling along the shoreline, down deeper while scuba diving, and on the surface miles off shore.
I wonder what their main food supply was?

Barry A. - 3-13-2015 at 07:53 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

I wonder what their main food supply was?

I have been informed by a responsible & very respectable source that it is Liberal Democrats.

Barry

J.P. - 3-13-2015 at 08:37 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

I wonder what their main food supply was?

I have been informed by a responsible & very respectable source that it is Liberal Democrats.

Barry

That's totally understandable, Tea party Republicans would even make a Snake Puke. :lol:

Barry A. - 3-13-2015 at 10:06 PM

Quote: Originally posted by J.P.

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

I wonder what their main food supply was?

I have been informed by a responsible & very respectable source that it is Liberal Democrats.

Barry

That's totally understandable, Tea party Republicans would even make a Snake Puke. :lol:

Well, burp maybe---------snakes have a hard time with the energy and integrity contained in a Republican, I have heard.

DENNIS - 3-14-2015 at 06:42 AM

Used to see them in the water and live on the beach over in PV. The waves would wash them on shore. My buddy would pick them up with a stick and throw them toward me and I thought nothing of it, till I got home and did some research.
They have a very high degree of Neurotoxic poison, very similar to a Cobra.

CaboSur - 3-14-2015 at 07:09 AM

Quote: Originally posted by CaboSur

Yellow Bellied Sea Snake
Found this snake ALIVE on the beach in front of the Grand Mayan in San Jose del Cabo.
Don't know anything about them. Approx. 16 inches long . very vibrant yellow and white

There was a good Samaritan there who flipped the snake with his flip flop back into the water. The next wave washed it back upon the beach again and then i left. Hopefully these aren't going to become common in the BAJA.

durrelllrobert - 3-14-2015 at 09:05 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

I wonder what their main food supply was?

I have been informed by a responsible & very respectable source that it is Liberal Democrats.

Barry

Here's their main competition for that yummy food:

AKgringo - 3-14-2015 at 11:43 AM

Well maybe its time for me to jump in to this left-wing/right-wing hijack. Naa.......I would rather go play with the snake!