Greater sea snake
A species of Graceful small-headed seasnake Scientific name : Hydrophis major Genus : Graceful small-headed seasnake
Greater sea snake, A species of Graceful small-headed seasnake
Scientific name: Hydrophis major
Genus: Graceful small-headed seasnake
Content
Description General Info
Description
The olive-headed sea snake (Hydrophis major) is sea snake in the family Elapidae native to waters off northern Australia.
General Info
Lifespan
7-9 years
Diet
Greater sea snake typically possess a carnivorous feeding behaviour, primarily subsisting on fish. Exceptionally, it has been seen consuming eels, showcasing a dietary preference involving elongated fish species.
Appearance
The greater sea snake is a large sea snake with a cylindrically slender, elongated body. Its skin is smooth and scales cover its body that vary from gray to dark blue, often with lighter undersides. Notably, bands of black or dark grey are present along the body. It has a small head that’s indistinct from the neck and a paddle-like tail adapted for swimming. There are no considerable differences in appearance due to age, gender, or subspecies.
Behavior
Greater sea snake shows typical secretive and nocturnal habits inherent to sea snakes, surfacing less frequently relative to others in its genus. Solitary in nature, they exhibit notable diving behavior, staying submerged for hours to forage. While largely non-aggressive, they become hostile when harassed, demonstrating unique defense tactics such as bodily inflation.
Scientific Classification
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