SEA SNAKE

The Sea snake (Hydrophis spiralis) (Tamil: Kadal naagam) is the largest of our sea snakes growing almost to eight to nine feet in length. It is yellowish or yellowish green with more or less complete narrow, black, ring like bands, much narrower than their interspaces. The head in the young one is blackish with a yellow horseshoe shaped mark above, but in the adult it is usually entirely yellow. It is a strong and active swimmer, ascending up rivers to a considerable distance. Several large specimens of this species have been recorded from the Mahabalipuram coast, south of Chennai.