Stokes Sea Snake
Stoke’s sea snake, also known as Astrotia stokesii, is a common sea snake that can be found in the Indo-Pacific waters. This species is one of the heaviest as well as stoutest sea snakes, with an average length of 1.5 meters and some specimens weighing as much as 5 kilograms.
This sea snake is known by its scientific name of Astrotia stokesii. It belongs to the monotypic Astrotia genus which means that it is the only extant member. The species also belongs to the Hydrophiinae subfamily which contains many venomous sea snakes within the lager Elapidae family that comprises of many other marine and terrestrial species of venomous snakes such as the king cobra or the adder. The first published description of the snake was made in the 1846 Discoveries in Australia volume 1 of John Lort Stokes, hence the name.
This snake is one of the heaviest sea snakes in the world. It has a stout body and a girth much larger compared to that of most other snakes, resembling terrestrial venomous snakes more than its marine counterparts. This snake also has the longest fangs of all marine species, and it has been reported that these fangs are long enough to even pierce a wetsuit. On the ventral side, the snake has some enlarged scales which form a keel on the belly as well as two tubercles resembling warts. Colors vary widely when it comes to Stoke’s sea snake, with colors ranging from pure black to cream, white and even with black rings or dorsal cross bands. This snake can grow to 1.5 meters in length, with some specimens being reportedly longer.
This snake can be aggressive towards its prey, and its bite is venomous. Despite its toxic venom and size of fangs, this snake rarely attacks large animals and humans, and there are no known fatalities. As such, the toxicity of this snake is not known.
Stoke’s sea snake can be found in many areas of the Indo-Pacific region, from coastlines and islands near India to Viet Nam, Malaysia, Australia and New Guinea. Many prefer the coral reefs, and as such the Great Barrier Reef abounds in these snakes. The snakes prefer to sit hidden inside coral reefs. However, due to their girth, it is more likely that they also burrow under the sand, as it would be difficult to penetrate thick forests of corals, especially in the Great Barrier Reef.
This snake has a diet mainly consisting of small fish which he hunts near coral reefs. The snakes usually mate just once per season. The snakes are ovoviviparous, meaning that fertilization takes place internally as well as the hatching of the eggs. Thus the female appears to give birth to live snakes. The young are usually no more than 5, with a few exceptions. During the mating season, Stoke’s sea snake specimens can be observed drifting in the thousands in the Strait of Malacca.