Banded Sea Snake, Takapuna Beach

Discuss natural history subjects not strictly related to birds. Reports of interesting mammal, reptile, and invertebrate sightings are welcome.
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Michael Szabo
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Banded Sea Snake, Takapuna Beach

Postby Michael Szabo » Fri Dec 16, 2022 5:51 pm

Banded sea snake reported on Auckland's Takapuna Beach:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/live-veno ... 1671158749
My new book 'Wild Wellington Nga Taonga Taiao' can be ordered online here:
https://tepapastore.co.nz/products/wild ... o-o-te-ika
paradoxdinokipi
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Re: Banded Sea Snake, Takapuna Beach

Postby paradoxdinokipi » Fri Dec 16, 2022 8:25 pm

Dislike the mentality that wildlife should bend down to our will, that as it's venomous it must be taken out of the wild so it can't harm people, even though they won't bite unprovoked, like I see no reason why they can't just practice avoidance, or we can't just educate more people on snakes.
my inat: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/4733175 & ebird account is linked in that profile :)
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Neil Fitzgerald
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Re: Banded Sea Snake, Takapuna Beach

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Sat Dec 17, 2022 9:50 am

I can't believe that person is not going to be prosecuted. After being told by an official what to do, she did exactly the opposite and put it in a plastic bag and left it on the beach! Imagine if it was a kitten.
BerndHuss
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Re: Banded Sea Snake, Takapuna Beach

Postby BerndHuss » Mon Dec 19, 2022 3:57 pm

Correct me if I am wrong, but to my knowledge the fangs of Banded Sea-snakes are too short to penetrate human skin. So even though they are highly venomous they do not pose a real threat to humans. I think they should just be left alone.
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Neil Fitzgerald
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Re: Banded Sea Snake, Takapuna Beach

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Thu Dec 22, 2022 8:35 am

This is what we need. We have snakes. It's not new or scary. Let's celebrate them.

https://thespinoff.co.nz/science/20-12- ... -sea-snake

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