Banded sea snake
Laticauda colubrina
Description: Smooth-scaled snake that is a pale shade of blue with black bands. Its oarlike tail provides propulsion in swimming.
Characteristics: Most active at night, swimming close to shore and at times entering tide pools. Its venom is a very strong neurotoxin. Its victims are usually fishermen who untangle these deadly snakes from large fish nets.
Length: Average 75 centimeters (30 inches), maximum 1.2 meters (4 feet).
Distribution: Pacific Ocean coastal waters of Australia and southeast Asia; Indian Ocean coastal waters.
