Venomous Middle Eastern Water Snakes?
June 18, 2010 1:30 PM Subscribe
Are there any venomous water snakes that live in the Middle East or Northern Africa?
I know of water snakes in America, but can't seem to find any info on snakes living in the Middle East that are both venomous AND water snakes.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
I know of water snakes in America, but can't seem to find any info on snakes living in the Middle East that are both venomous AND water snakes.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
I've seen sea-snakes while diving off the Indian Ocean side of the Arabian Peninsula, maybe look up I.O. sea snakes.
posted by atrazine at 3:20 PM on June 18, 2010
posted by atrazine at 3:20 PM on June 18, 2010
Here's the snake in question:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrophis_lapemoides
One of the most poisonous snakes in the world, but thankfully shy of humans. Variants are found around the world but are VERY common in the Arabian Gulf. When I was in the Navy and floating around on an Aircraft Carrier, you'd see these things everywhere.
posted by matty at 6:21 PM on June 18, 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrophis_lapemoides
One of the most poisonous snakes in the world, but thankfully shy of humans. Variants are found around the world but are VERY common in the Arabian Gulf. When I was in the Navy and floating around on an Aircraft Carrier, you'd see these things everywhere.
posted by matty at 6:21 PM on June 18, 2010
additional link here that addresses the venomous side of the house:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_snake
here's a pdf that goes way scientific-y about their venom:
http://www.biochemj.org/bj/213/0031/2130031.pdf
posted by matty at 6:26 PM on June 18, 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_snake
here's a pdf that goes way scientific-y about their venom:
http://www.biochemj.org/bj/213/0031/2130031.pdf
posted by matty at 6:26 PM on June 18, 2010
It depends on what you mean by "water snake."
Other people have covered sea snakes, but "water snakes," in a North American sense, are nonvenomous natricine snakes, genus Nerodia, that are found near fresh water (with the exception of one species, Nerodia clarkii, the salt marsh snake, that is found in brackish water and mangrove swamps along the Florida coastline -- for now).
This is the same subfamily that garter snakes belong to. No natricines in North America are dangerous to humans. There are Old World natricine snakes, and some of them are rear-fanged. I can't speak to what's found in the Middle East or North Africa with any confidence: I know, for example, that a couple of species of Natrix are found there, and those aren't anything to worry about, but I can't guarantee that any water snake found there will be safe to approach.
Now, there are other snakes called water snakes that aren't natricines, but I'm not aware of any in that area. (Which doesn't mean that much, actually; outside of Europe and North America, my knowledge of nonvenomous snakes is really quite insufficient. Everybody wants to know about the cobras, not so much the house snakes.)
Water snakes, by the way, aren't actually aquatic; I've found many on land. They're terrestrial snakes that are found near or in water because that's where their food is (fish and amphibians). Sea snakes, on the other hand, are related to cobras and are completely aquatic: they're completely helpless on land (unless they're sea kraits, which come ashore to lay eggs).
I'm afraid I've talked around your question rather than properly answer it.
posted by mcwetboy at 7:34 AM on June 19, 2010
Other people have covered sea snakes, but "water snakes," in a North American sense, are nonvenomous natricine snakes, genus Nerodia, that are found near fresh water (with the exception of one species, Nerodia clarkii, the salt marsh snake, that is found in brackish water and mangrove swamps along the Florida coastline -- for now).
This is the same subfamily that garter snakes belong to. No natricines in North America are dangerous to humans. There are Old World natricine snakes, and some of them are rear-fanged. I can't speak to what's found in the Middle East or North Africa with any confidence: I know, for example, that a couple of species of Natrix are found there, and those aren't anything to worry about, but I can't guarantee that any water snake found there will be safe to approach.
Now, there are other snakes called water snakes that aren't natricines, but I'm not aware of any in that area. (Which doesn't mean that much, actually; outside of Europe and North America, my knowledge of nonvenomous snakes is really quite insufficient. Everybody wants to know about the cobras, not so much the house snakes.)
Water snakes, by the way, aren't actually aquatic; I've found many on land. They're terrestrial snakes that are found near or in water because that's where their food is (fish and amphibians). Sea snakes, on the other hand, are related to cobras and are completely aquatic: they're completely helpless on land (unless they're sea kraits, which come ashore to lay eggs).
I'm afraid I've talked around your question rather than properly answer it.
posted by mcwetboy at 7:34 AM on June 19, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
They were gracefully terrifying.
posted by 6550 at 1:38 PM on June 18, 2010