Reptile

Olive-headed Sea Snake Facts Hydrophis major

ReptileCoastal waters from Western Australia and southern Papua New Guinea to New CaledoniaCarnivore

The olive-headed sea snake, also known as the greater sea snake, is a fully aquatic venomous elapid of northern Australian, southern New Guinean and New Caledonian coastal waters.

Habitat: Marine
Diet: Recent New Caledonian studies found striped eel catfish (Plotosus lineatus) as the recorded prey

Classification

Family: Elapidae. Order: Squamata.

Olive-headed Sea Snake Habitat

Olive-headed Sea Snakes live in Marine and Coastal and Coral Reef habitats. Their recorded range includes Coastal waters from Western Australia and southern Papua New Guinea to New Caledonia. Suitable food, shelter, and conditions for raising young help shape that range.

What Do Olive-headed Sea Snakes Eat?

Diet classification: Carnivore. Recorded foods: Recent New Caledonian studies found striped eel catfish (Plotosus lineatus) as the recorded prey.

Olive-headed Sea Snake Conservation Status

Olive-headed Sea Snake is listed here as Least Concern. Protecting habitat, maintaining healthy prey or food sources, and reducing human pressure are important parts of conserving wild populations.

Quick facts

Region: Coastal waters from Western Australia and southern Papua New Guinea to New Caledonia
Habitat: Marine, Coastal, Coral Reef
Diet: Carnivore
Size: Can exceed 1.5 m in length

Fun facts

Experiments show that greater sea snakes become more active when they detect waterborne chemical cues from striped eel catfish.
Tracked snakes moved most during rapidly falling tides, when prey scent may be carried out of reef crevices.
The species is fully aquatic and can forage from shallow coastal water into deeper marine habitat.

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