Sea-snakes

Sea-snakes (Hydrophidæ), very venomous marine snakes, inhabiting the tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, especially about the East Indian Archipelago, and between China and Australia. The body is compressed behind, and the tail is often markedly paddle-shaped; the ventral scales are very slightly if at all specialised; the nostrils are valved, and lie on the tip of the snout; the eyes are small, and most of the sea-snakes are very blind and helpless when taken out of the water; the fangs are like those of cobras, and the venom is very virulent. The sea-snakes feed on fishes, which they kill almost instantly with their poison and swallow head foremost. They are themselves preyed upon by sharks and rays. They not unfrequently attain a length of eight feet, but are not large enough to be mistaken for 'seaserpents.' All are viviparous. Among the common forms are species of Hydrophis and the yellow-bellied Pelamys bicolor, while the genus Platurus is in several ways half-way between the typical Hydrophidæ and the terrestrial Elapidæ.