There are approximately 70 different species of sea snakes, and five major types, including Hydrophiids, Laticaudids, Acrochordids, Homalopsids, and the Natricids. They account for 86% of marine reptile species inhabiting the waters. (All the Sea, 2001). They are venomous reptiles that live most of their lives in the sea and are so adapted to that environment that few species of sea snakes can crawl on land. Their eyes are small with most having nostrils that are located dorsally. Most species of sea snakes grow between 120-150 cm as adults and the largest, Hydrophis spiralis reaching up to 9.8 feet. Sea snakes have similar skulls to the snakes living on land, although they have shorter fangs and as many as 18 smaller teeth behind them in the mouth (Wikipedia, 2011). The scales among sea snakes vary between species. Unlike the terrestrial snakes that have imbricate (overlapping) scales to protect against abrasion, the scales of most sea snakes that dwell at pelagic depths do not overlap. Reef dwelling species however, have imbricate scales to protect against the sharp corals and other objects on the sea floor. The scales may be smooth, keeled, spiny or granular (Cyberlizard, 2002).
Many of the species have adapted to their environment, most characterized by their paddle-like tail that has increased their swimming ability (Wikipedia, 2011). The bodies of many of the species are laterally compressed, causing the ventral scales to become reduced in size, reducing their ability to crawl on land. Contrasted to the terrestrial snakes, sea snakes tongue action is short, as it is easier for a snakes tongue to fulfill its olfactory function underwater. Only the forked tip protrudes from the mouth through the divided notch of the rostra...
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...ea snakes are the Natricids, also known as salt marsh snakes. They are confined almost entirely to salt marsh environments. There are three species of marine Natricids and they live in temperate and subtropical North America and are not venomous (Wikipedia, 2011).
Works Cited
All the Sea. 2011 “Sea Snakes” [online] Available WWW: http://www.allthesea.com/Sea-Snakes.html (8/15/11)
Animal Planet. 2011 “Sea Snake” [online] Available WWW: http://animal.discovery.com/reptiles/snake/sea-snake.html (7/28/11)
CyberLizard. 2002 “The Hydrophiidae” [online] Available WWW: http://www.cyberlizard.plus.com/venomous5.htm (7/28/11)
ThinkQuest. 2000 “Sea Snake” [online] Available WWW: http://library.thinkquest.org/C007974/2_3sea.htm (8/13/11)
Wikipedia. 2011 “Sea Snake” [online] Available WWW: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_snake (8/15/11)
This can get expensive and unsanitary. These non-venomous snakes are tricky to care for and often illegally released into the wild. This dumping, importation for the exotic pet trade, and escaped snakes from Hurricane Andrew is resulting in an established wild population of Burmese pythons in South Florida. II. Facts Native to the jungles and to the grassy marshes of Southeast Asia, the Burmese pythons are said to have been first reported in the Everglades in 2000.
Other large non-native snakes— such as the common boa (Boa constrictor), green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), and reticulated python (Python reticulatus)—have been observed in the wild in South Florida, but only Burmese pythons and common boas are known to be breeding. Burmese pythons were first reported as established in Everglades National Park (ENP) by Meshaka, based in part on specimens collected on the Main Park Road in the mid-1990s. Since then, the number of Burmese pythons captured or found dead in and around ENP has dramatically increased. From 2002 - 2005, 201 pythons were captured and removed or found dead.
head of a hammer. Their eyes and nostrils are at the ends of the hammer. There
Exotic snakes such as the python, boa constrictors and anaconda as well as the Monitor and Tegu lizard are taking over central and southern Florida and pose an extreme threat to the eco- system and to the families that are residing there.
Scorpaenidae are mostly marine fish,very few found in fresh and brackish water. The family have around around 45 different genera and 380 different species. They are mostly found in the India Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Most of them lives in coral, tropical reefs and shallow waters, warmer areas. Not all of the family fish lives in the shallow water, small portion of the Scorpaenidae live deep as around 7,000 feet. Just like most of the coral reef fish are, Scorpaenidae have camouflaged body. Their characteristic reflects their name, they have sharp spine that can sting other organisms. Their spine are covered with venomous mucus just like how some other kind of fish are covered with the venomous mucus. Their body are covered with scales. Generally speaking, the Scorpaenidae family fish have different number of spines over the course of the body. Most known type pf Scorpaenidae are lionfish and scorpionfish. Lionfish have preorbital bone with 3 spines, spines and third below the diagonal; , big mouth, end position, oblique fissure. Mandible, vomer and jaw bone with villiform teeth group. Gill openings are wide, tetrabranchiate membranes without the isthmus, pre-opercular margin with 5 spines. Body are ctenoid scales, round head. On the side, there are about eight to nine dorsal fin, fin spines and rays of an anal fin; five to six pectoral fins, they are large, round, and are branched from the upper fin rays. There are about one to five pelvic, sub thoracic; caudal fin rounded truncate. Reef stonefish are extremely camouflaged, they could look exactly like a rock when hiding for predation. The spines of Scorpaenidae are hard and rough, some of their fin spines have poison, can cause serious pain, swells and fatal wounds. Some of ...
Their no natural predator that can kill the snakes. “With no natural predators, these eating machines appear to be wiping out huge numbers of animals.” “The python is eating opossums, raccoons, and bobcats, as well as many bird species.”
Seahorses are elongate with rigid body armor and swim upright. Pectoral fins on the sides and a small dorsal
Smith, Hobart M. and Zim, Herbet S. Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Western Publishing Company, 1987. Print.
All animals under go a process of constant change in their physical appearance and in their behaviour. These changes take place over millions of years and the species that survive, do so because throughout their evolution they have perfected certain strategies that have enabled them to develop more successfully in the environment they inhabit. One such case of this successful development is the great hammerhead shark.
Along with having camouflage, all species of octopi are known to be venomous. Only one species is known to be dangerous to humans. (The blue ringed octopus which is only 5-8 inches long) Octopi will only use their venom to defend themselves against a predator when they feel threatened or to paralyze its intended meal. The venom then dissolves the meat so the octopus can easily consume it.
...lifornia, they are found all over the world as long as there is an abundance of its prey.
How do reptile scales differ from fish scales? (2 points) A reptiles scales are in the epidermis of the skin whereas a fish’s scales are in the dermis of the skin which is located underneath the epidermis. All reptilian scales have a dermal papilla underlying the epidermal part.
The Northern Sea Lion, also known as the stellar sea lion, has the binomial nomenclature of Eumetopias jubatus. They received their name because the adult males have blubbery necks with long fur, like a lion. Their name basically means lion of the sea. These animals can be found in coastal waters of the North Pacific Ocean from Japan to central California. In the Western United States, there is estimated to be about 39,000-45,000 Sea Lions, and in the Eastern United States there is estimated to be about 44,000-48,000 Sea Lions. Globally there is about 85,000 Sea Lions. They live in the salt water/ sub-arctic biome. This biome is special to them because they can adapt to the colder temperatures and they like that they can lay out on the ice when they molt. They mainly live in the water but they sometimes haul-out and leave the ocean. Haul-outs can include anywhere where the land has gravel, or is sandy. Sometimes they just haul-out on to sea ice. They do not need to hibernate because of their thick coat and fur.
Leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead are sea turtles which are any of two families Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae defined by feet modified into paddles for swimming. Sea turtles, as the name implies, live in the sea; however, they swim to land to lay there eggs. When an egg hatches the baby turtle waddles across the sand to the sea where it will spend almost all of its life.
Cartilaginous and bony fishes were abundant. Large fishes and marine reptiles were common; the largest bony fish ever to live existed at this time called the Leedsichthys, coming in at a mindboggling size. Estimates of the size of this fish range from 20 to 27 meters and mass from 20 to 50 tons (Owen). This species is the largest bony fish ever to have ever existed and swam in what is now near England. Jurassic pliosaurs are some of the largest carnivorous reptiles ever discovered, even rivaling Tyrannosaurus which lived during the Cretaceous Period, although the pliosaurs was not a dinosaur but distant cousins of modern turtles ranging from 4 to 15 meters. The ichthyosaurs were at their height, sharing the oceans with the plesiosaurs, huge marine reptiles covering the globe.