Yellow bellied sea snake

Introduction: Yellow-Bellied Sea snakes (Pelamis platurus) have an oar-like tail, a narrow head and an elongated, flat-topped snout. They usually accumulate in floating seaweed and debris where surface currents meet, ideal territory to ambush fish. Excellent swimmers they can manoeuvre either forwards or backwards, but cannot move at all if they are washed ashore. They spend most of their time underwater and can dive to depths up to 50m. Predators are few as their venom is toxic to fish. Venom yields are small and no cases of bites or deaths have been recorded in southern African waters.

Distribution: Specimens have been recorded in the waters off Swakopmund.

Diet: Marine life, especially small fish, eels and fish eggs.

Colouring: A dark brown or black back with stripes and a yellow or light-brown belly.

Breeding: Females give birth to 3 to 8 young between March and October.

Size: Max SVL male 650mm, female 660mm.