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| Taken from iNaturalist |
iNaturalist and Herp Mapper are asking beachcombers and hikers to document sightings
of the highly venomous Yellow Bellied Sea Snakes washing up on our California beaches, possible due to El Nino storms. The snakes have been reported as far north as Oxnard, although it is normally at home in tropical waters, and can give birth out at sea.
Yellow Bellied Sea Snakes normally live in warmer tropical waters, but the effects of El Nino may be the warming of the ocean off of California. The snakes are 28-35 inches long. This bicolored cobra relative will be yellow or brown below and may have a series of black bars rather than a single black stripe on the top side.
"The snake venom can cause damage to skeletal muscle with consequent myoglobinuria, neuromuscular paralysis or direct renal damage."
"The E. schistosa antivenom was tested specifically on Pelamus platurus, and it effectively neutralised the venom." Source link.
If you have it available, please use GPS coordinates when sending images of your sightings. Warnings are to avoid touching the snakes, but photograph or film them, send your findings to the links above.
Visit The Reptile Database for more information and images.
