RT Book, Section
A1 Zafren, Ken
A1 Thurman, R. Jason
A1 Jones, Ian D.
A2 Knoop, Kevin J.
A2 Stack, Lawrence B.
A2 Storrow, Alan B.
A2 Thurman, R. Jason
SR Print(0)
ID 1181051135
T1 Sea Snake Envenomation
T2 The Atlas of Emergency Medicine, 5e
YR 2021
FD 2021
PB McGraw-Hill
PP New York, NY
SN 9781260134940
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1181051135
RD 2024/04/19
AB Sea  snakes  are  members  of  the  elapid  family  of  snakes  that  have  evolved  to  survive  in  a  variety  of  ocean  habitats.  There  are  over  70  species  of  sea  snakes  with  the  majority  found  in  the  tropical  portions  of  the  Indian  and  Pacific  Oceans.  Sea  snakes  are  not  found  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean  or  the  Caribbean  Sea.  Most  species  of  sea  snakes  live  close  to  the  coast,  although  there  is  a  pelagic  species,  Pelamis  platurus,  that  is  found  across  a  large  swath  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Reports  vary  regarding  the  docile  nature  of  sea  snakes.  Some  species  have  a  much  higher  propensity  to  bite  than  others.  Bites  occur  when  the  animal  is  disturbed  or  handled.  There  are  many  reports  of  bites  occurring  as  fishermen  are  removing  snakes  from  their  nets.  Because  of  the  small  size  of  the  organism’s  fangs,  bites  may  be  inconspicuous  and  are  often  painless.  The  majority  of  bites  do  not  result  in  envenomation.