sea snake in NZ » Kelly Tarltons Underwater World

sea snake in NZ
25-04-2008

a yellow-bellied sea snake has washed up near Dargaville

Venomous sea snake found on Kiwi beach [+video] - New Zealand news on Stuff.co.nz

it has gone to Kelly Tarlton's to recover. Yellow-bellied sea snakes turn up in NZ fairly regularly (about once every couple of years on average, although the report above says once or twice a year); the other species recorded from NZ, the banded sea snake, is much rarer. I've heard different things on the fate of the snakes that go to Kelly Tarlton's, either that they need to be put down because they are snakes and can't have snakes in NZ, or conversely that they are kept alive either off-exhibit or on-exhibit. Not sure what the true one is. However they are a native species in as much as they reach NZ on their own so I don't think there should be a problem with exhibiting one that comes up on a NZ beach

25-04-2008

I have never known of a sea snake that has survived destruction by MAF , even when they arrive by themselves and get washed up on the sea shore

Personally , I wish that MAF would leave them alone , as they are a native species to our waters , rather than fumigate them . But as I like snakes , I speak very much in the minority

25-04-2008

well they're not going to survive in NZ waters anyway because its too cold for them. They are normally semi-comatose when they reach here. So the only options are to kill them, keep them alive at an Aquarium, or return them to the tropics.

I have fairly reliable info that at least one or two sea snakes have gone on display at Kelly Tarlton's (insider info but not 100% certain)

comotose killers
25-04-2008

if they arrive in semi comtose state ( and I will not doubt that as being fact ) and if it is true that they are rear fanged snakes , I laugh at MAF who have led me to believe that they are highly dangerous to humans .

This will certainly be the case if people actually muck around with their fangs ( and I will have no sympathy ) but apart from that , they will not be in any position to attack and inject venom ? Leave the snake alone , and you will have nothing to fear

WHY does MAF need to kill them by fumigation gas chamber ? They should either toss them back in the tide or give them to a reputable aquiriam
( rhetorical question -- dont feel obliged to answer )

I hope that you are right with the Kelly Tarlton option .

I am not trying to argue against you on this one , its just that I really like snakes , even venomous ones .

25-04-2008

sea snakes are amongst the most venomous snakes in the world, and certainly do pose a considerable risk to people if they play around with them. There is a widespread myth that they can't open their mouth wide enough to bite people, which is completely untrue. They are generally pretty docile (I've handled them myself in other countries) and the ones that reach our shores are sluggish from the colder climate, but anyone reared on a diet of the Crocodile Hunter may fancy themselves a snake handler and do something stupid (kids in particular, coming across a sea snake on the beach may not really appreciate the effects of a snake bite). Fortunately most people who find them in NZ are generally the sort who are scared witless of snakes and call the police to deal with it instead of attempting things themselves.

I think along the same lines as you however that the snakes should be kept alive if possible in an appropriate Aquarium. I too like snakes

26-04-2008

Thanks for this informative reply .
I wish that places like Kelly Tarltons and Napier Aquiriam can exhibit these -- behind glass . After all , they are native to NZ waters , even if they are venomous .... but I am pleased that the recent one has ended up at KTs rather than being gassed just because it is a venomous snake .

Perhaps with global warming , we might have a few more washed up in the far North of NZ ( I am originally from Whangarei , which has a very mild winter and a warm muggy summer )

26-04-2008

I think that sea snake appearances have actually picked up in recent years, which may simply be due to more people being out on the beaches, or it may be due to warmer waters. There was on average about one found every two years as I said in an earlier post but this has become at least one or two a year in the last couple of decades (so both the news reports and myself were correct in a way).

Apparently the latest is that the snake is going to be cared for at Kelly Tarlton's until it is fit for release (got to wonder where they would release it though!)

26-04-2008

I went to Kelly Tarlton's on Thursday... This snake WAS on display in a freshly filled tank (the sand was still settling, it was half full and a hose was still in it)...

The snake looked in poor condition, it slept most of the time, I checked it about 3 - 4 times, it may be on display for a while too because a info sign had been constructed for it...

26-04-2008

that's interesting. You'd think if it was recovering for release it would be off-display. However they would already have an info sign for the others they have (apparently) displayed in the past

26-04-2008

I was really suprised...

26-04-2008

I can imagine!

03-05-2008

You are probably referring to the fact that sea snakes can physically bite a kid (even while their fangs are in the rear of their mouth). I just find it sad that your MAF treat every seas snake that passes up over NZ shores by gassing them. Why not simply rehabilitate the - semi comatose - sea snakes and return them to warmer climes they usually call home.

Alternatively, I know of a reputable Aussie institution that would do a right killing for any live sea snakes (which are maintained and bred to acquire sea snake anti-venom). Lastly, these creatures are also wonders of the natural world and we should treat them with the courtesy and caution they deserve/require, and not to just kill them because they are venomous.

04-05-2008

How long has it been at the aquarium for, i saw a programme yesterday (sat) here in the UK called ocean zoo, about the Kelly Tarltons aquarium, Melbourne aquarium and underwater world Moolloolaba.
It showed the snake being handed in and the place that initially found it had put it in a picnic cooler overnight with a couple of hot water bottles.

04-05-2008

this snake was found on 24 April (about ten days ago). "Ocean Zoo" was made a couple of years ago, so any sea snakes shown at Kelly Tarltons in the programme are ones that came ashore in previous years. In NZ the series rated poorly (no lions in it) and it got pulled halfway through the season, which was a tad annoying for those of us who like aquariums.

Most sea snakes that wash up in NZ are already dead by the time they're found. I think the last live sea snake to be at Kellys was in 2005:
FieldHerpForum.com :: View topic - NZ Press: Castaway sea snake faces wriggly release wrangle

04-05-2008

I saw that episode, that was a snake previously held at the aquarium which I believe was never exhibited...