Sea Snakes Does Not Drink Sea Water

In the textbooks it is learned marine reptiles drink salty sea water and excrete the excess salt via specially developed glands. However, a new finding surprises us as it contradicts to the old theory.

Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the new finding suggests sea snakes wait for fresh water from rainfall. Professor Harvey Lillywhite discovered it and says the creature would also dehydrate for months.

Lillywhite spent three years with the help and support of his colleagues in studying the Yellow-Bellied sea snake. They also studied the most widely distributed snake in the tropical areas in the lab. In both the settings they found the creature was seen waiting for the fresh water.

Link 1

For a more comprehensive read on how the study reach their conclusions read the nationalgeographic article.

Just some cruel irony of the nature I found interesting to share with ATS world, complete marine creatures die of thirst as they dont drink salt water, they spend month dehydrated waiting for the rain season and the author of the research speculates this is the cause for 8 marine snake species disappearance in northern Australia.

The snake in question live their entire life in open sea whereas other species of sea snakes lay eggs in the shores. It would be interesting to see how the species evolve to a complete marine life without the ability to consume sea water.

Ophidiophilia must not be a thing around here

Indigent

Ophidiophilia must not be a thing around here

While I am most certainly not into ophidiophilia, nither am I ophidiophobic. I've always thought snakes were cool. The vid is quite interesting. Brings to mind the old ancient mariner line: 'Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink...'

The op says, " In the textbooks it is learned marine reptiles drink salty sea water and excrete the excess salt via specially developed glands. "

That's Very specific. Since it turns out to be wrong, how the heck did thay arrive at something so specific in the first place?

Seems they would have had to actually find and study those glands to know how they functioned - but if not.. how did it happen? Seems nutz to me.. did they just make stuff up?

reply to post by JohnPhoenix


Other animals have similar structures for that purpose, I assume sea snakes are not that popular or easy to study in the nature but i don't know. we need a biologist here to clear this up.

Supraorbital gland

Penguins drink sea water due to that gland.

Oh well snakes are not alone, it seems marine mammals don't consume salt water either but no one knows due to hard nature of studding them in the wild.

How can sea mammals drink saltwater?

a reply to: Indigent

Thank you for posting this. It wasn't the plan for the day, but I have enjoyed reading and learning about the "Yellow bellied sea snake, and other aquatic animals.

I have been watching Detroit beat the Bears, (I guess I should retract that. They haven't lost yet) Now I am going to watch the Chargers take Green Bay.

I will be checking back to read during commercials.