The banded sea krait (Laticauda colubrina) is an amphibious species of snake that spends most of its life at sea in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. To adapt to this semi-aquatic lifestyle, the banded sea krait has evolved unusual morphology. It has retained the ventral scales and cylindrical body shape typical of land snakes, as this helps with climbing on land and in low trees, but its tail is paddle-shaped, which allows ease of movement in water. It also has large lungs so that it can spend long periods underwater, as well as valved nostrils that keep out saltwater while diving, and glands under the tongue that expel excess salt.
* There are around 50 types of Sea Krait and all belong to the Cobra family.
* The average Sea Krait grows to about 2 meters long with the largest growing up to 3 meters.
* They have flattened tails to swim fast and have flaps over their nostrils that close when they are underwater.
* With no gills they need to surface for air, but can stay down as deep as 100 meters for up to an hour.
* A Sea Kraits heart is located mid-body to enable blood pressure to be stable throughout its length which is very important when diving deep.
* Sea Kraits are highly poisonous but majority of the sea snakes are not aggressive unless you severely mistreat it. On average the sea snake can produce 10 – 15 milligrams of venom with one bite strike. If it injects 15 mg of venom, the victim may die immediately due to the speed of the poison spreading in the blood system.
* Sea Kraits go on land to lay their eggs. Only two nests have ever been reported, meaning its reproductive biology is poorly understood.
* The banded sea krait displays marked sexual dimorphism, the female being heavier and around a third longer than the male.
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