Scary hunting tactics of Costa Rica sea snakes

Newly discovered sea snake species in Costa Rica can curl like a spring close to the water surface to attack lightning fast.

Phoenix Zoo researcher Brooke Bessesen and expert Gary Galbreath from Northwestern University named a completely new sea snake discovered off Costa Rica, Hydrophis Platurus Xanthos , Gizmodo, on July 31.

This sea snake is about 50cm long, yellow in color, lives in the warm waters of Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica and develops unique hunting tactics, which have never been discovered in any other species.

The curling action is like a spring when catching the prey of sea snake Hydrophis Platurus Xanthos.(Photo: Zookeys).

To hunt, Hydrophis Platurus Xanthos usually curls into a spiral, like a spring compressed, suspended near the water. When they discovered the small fish caught off guard swimming, they released the power, rushing to attack the prey with high speed.

This snake must also adapt to harsh conditions, when the sea temperature can reach nearly 33 degrees Celsius, the heat is often very dangerous with sea snakes.

This is why they usually hunt at night to avoid high daytime temperatures. For the rest of the time, Hydrophis Platurus Xanthos dives to depths of 20 to 50 meters, where temperatures are cooler.

The snake is being classified as highly endangered due to climate change, causing seawater to become hotter as well as the risk of poaching by marine biologists.