Deadliest Sea Snake Actually Two Species

[Hasina]

Deadliest Sea Snake Is 2 Separate Species

The deadliest sea snakes in the world can be found from the Arabian Peninsula to Australia. They like to live in estuaries and lagoons near the shore and have been known to get tangled in fishermen's nets and inflict fatal bites. Their venom is extremely toxic, more potent than that of a cobra.

But the deadliest sea snake has a secret — it is actually two sea snake species, as pointed out by Ed Yong in his blog Not Exactly Rocket Science.

Scientists once thought that snakes in Australia and Asia were the same species, Enhydrina schistosa. The snakes from these regions do look similar, with beaklike mouths that have a notch between the lower jaws.

However, when University of Queensland researcher Bryan Fry and colleagues tested the serpentine DNA, the results showed that they were separate species, and not even close relatives, as noted by the publication Asian Scientist.

Source: http://www.livescience.com/25401-sea-snake-two-species.html

[wolfknight]

Does it really matter if they bite you. Cause your going to be dead anyway.

[Ealdwita]

Baby snake - "Mum, are we venomous?"

Mummy snake - "I don't know, Monty. Is it important?"

Baby snake - "It might be, I've just bitten my tongue!"