How does the lifestyle of the yellow-bellied sea snake contrast with sea kraits (*Laticauda* species) regarding their interaction with land?
Answer
Sea kraits must return to land to digest food and lay eggs
The yellow-bellied sea snake is described as an obligate pelagic resident, meaning it is permanently divorced from terrestrial life. In contrast, sea kraits, classified under the genus *Laticauda*, remain amphibious. While they forage in the sea, they retain strong ties to land, using it as necessary refuge for crucial physiological processes. Specifically, sea kraits must haul out onto land to complete food digestion and fulfill their reproductive requirements by depositing their hard-shelled eggs on shore, a set of activities the fully pelagic yellow-bellied snake has entirely abandoned.
Related Questions
What is the current scientific genus for the yellow-bellied sea snake besides the historical *Pelamis*?What structural modification of the tail serves as the primary propeller for the yellow-bellied sea snake?Where are the specialized glands located that allow the yellow-bellied sea snake to actively excrete excess salt?What camouflage pattern is exhibited by the yellow-bellied sea snake's coloration, featuring a dark top and bright bottom?What major evolutionary trade-off results from the great reduction of ventral scales on *H. platurus*?What geological event is identified as the barrier preventing the spread of *P. platurus* populations into the Atlantic Ocean?What key characteristic distinguishes the reproductive cycle of the yellow-bellied sea snake from many coastal sea snakes?To what purpose is the highly potent, neurotoxic venom of *Pelamis platurus* primarily evolved?How does the lifestyle of the yellow-bellied sea snake contrast with sea kraits (*Laticauda* species) regarding their interaction with land?What term specifically defines the yellow-bellied sea snake's existence living permanently away from coastlines in the open ocean?