Decoding the 'extremely poisonous snake nest' that appeared on Phu Quy island

In recent days, the online community and public opinion have been stirred by the news that a nest of extremely poisonous snakes appeared on Phu Quy island, Binh Thuan. So what is the truth about this snake?

Information about "a nest of extremely poisonous snakes" on Phu Quy island caused a stir in the tourism community

As Dan Tri reported, on April 10, a Youtuber with a large number of followers shared a video warning about "a nest of extremely poisonous snakes on Phu Quy island", and at the same time this Youtuber called on everyone to Be careful when traveling to Phu Quy Island, a tourist destination in Binh Thuan province.

"Everyone who goes to Phu Quy Island needs to be very careful, especially girls who often go to take photos on rocky beaches and small puddles. This is the nesting place of sea snakes, also known as cubs, which are very poisonous. Not just one nest but many nests, each nest has about 15-17 birds ," this Youtuber shared in his video.

Images of "extremely poisonous snake nests" caused a stir among netizens. (Screenshots).

The author of the clip said he recorded a video of a nest of poisonous snakes on Hon Den, a small island in Phu Quy island district, at noon on March 28. This person said this was the first time he encountered this snake and affirmed that this is the most poisonous snake in the world.

The information shared by this Youtuber immediately "caused a fever" in the online community. Many Facebook pages and TikTok accounts with a large number of followers have re-shared this information, making many people confused and worried, especially when Phu Quy is a relatively wild tourist destination, suitable for those who are traveling. People who love exploration and wild nature.

Based on the images appearing in the video shared on social networks, it can be determined that these are individuals of yellow-edged sea snakes , also known as yellow-lipped kraits (scientific name Laticauda colubrina) , a Sea snakes are found in the tropical waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

A yellow-edged sea snake on the beach. (Photo: AZAnimals).

This snake has a body with black, gray or white stripes, a yellow strip along the edge and a paddle-like tail, used when swimming. Female yellow-edged sea snakes are larger than males, with a maximum length that can reach about 1.4m. They are often found around coral reefs, mangrove forests and shallow waters from a depth of 10m or more.

Like other sea snakes, the yellow-edged sea snake hunts underwater, but returns to land to digest food, rest, and reproduce.

The paddle-like tail of the yellow-edged sea snake. (Photo: Getty).

One difference between yellow-edged sea snakes and other sea snakes is the way they mate. While sea snakes all mate in water, yellow-edged sea snakes not only mate on land, but they also have collective mating behavior.

Yellow-edged sea snakes have collective mating behavior during the breeding season. (Photo: ScienPhoto).

During the mating season, female yellow-edged sea snakes will appear on shore to attract males. Male snakes will chase females to seduce and mate collectively. Individual yellow-edged sea snakes will gather together in groups in caves, puddles or rocky crevices along the coast to mate.

That's why the above Youtuber was able to encounter such a crowded nest of snakes.

Is the yellow-edged sea snake poisonous?

The yellow-edged sea snake is a snake that possesses very strong neurotoxic venom , enough to kill an adult with a single bite. However, this snake is very shy, has small fangs and does not actively attack humans. They only attack when threatened or when humans try to capture them.

Most people who are bitten by this snake are fishermen, while trying to remove snakes caught in fishing nets.

Most sea snakes are very shy and rarely bite humans. They always find ways to hide from land animals, including humans.

In fact, most sea snakes possess deadly venom and are considered more toxic than land snakes. The reason for this is because sea snakes often have to hunt fish, eels. that swim very fast, so they need to evolve venom strong enough to kill their prey, instead of having to chase them. prey in aquatic environments.

Because yellow-edged sea snakes in particular and sea snakes in general possess deadly venom, so when tourists go swimming and see sea snakes appear, stay away from these animals and absolutely do not look for them. How to capture them to avoid unfortunate accidents.

Are yellow-edged sea snakes common in Vietnam?

In Vietnam , yellow-edged sea snakes are distributed on Hon Tre Island, Hon Mun Island, Nha Trang Bay, Con Cha fishing port, Binh Thuan province.

Distribution map of yellow-edged sea snakes. (Photo: Wiki).

However, according to a survey report on sea snakes in Vietnam, conducted by Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography and Wildlife at Risk, a non-governmental organization for the protection of wildlife, yellow-edged sea snakes are very rare. Hard to find in Vietnam.

Information about the yellow-edged sea snake in the Survey Report on Sea Snakes in Vietnam. (Photo: WildLife at Risk).

Before a nest of yellow-edged sea snakes was found by Youtuber on Phu Quy island, scientists only collected one specimen of this snake at Con Cha fishing port, Binh Thuan province and this specimen is being kept at the Institute of Marine. Oceanography of Nha Trang city.

Although rare, it is never redundant to be vigilant and careful when swimming in areas with sea snakes.

Phu Quy, also known as Thu Islet, Khoai Xu Islet, is a small island located about 120km southeast of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan.