Marine Reptiles!!

There are approximately 70 species of sea snakes living in our oceans. They account for 86% of marine reptile species alive today. Other marine reptiles include: 7 species of sea turtles salt water crocodile marine iguana.

Sea Snakes Sea snakes are cold blooded reptiles and are found primarily in warm tropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific. They are not found in the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea Adaptations include: Swimming Respiration Salt excretion Skin shedding

Yellow bellied sea snake Sea krait

Sea snakes are very venomous; one sea snake carries enough venom to kill three adult humans. The toxin of choice is a neurotoxin that shuts down your central nervous system. Sea snakes are not aggressive and have relatively small fangs (usually don’t penetrate a wetsuit).

Sea snakes bear their young on shore, and spend the remainder of their lives in the ocean looking for food, fish and eel.

Sea Turtles Sea turtles are large, air-breathing reptiles that inhabit tropical and subtropical seas throughout the world. Their shells consist of an upper part (carapace) and a lower section (plastron) Females must come ashore to lay their eggs in the sand; therefore, all sea turtles begin their lives as tiny hatchlings on land

Species

Saving Turtles! Turtles are radio-tagged so that we can follow them. The more we can learn about them, the better our efforts to save them

Salt water crocodile Salt water crocodiles grow over 20 feet long, are often found in fresh water rivers and streams, and man is definitely on their diet.

They remain motionless for hours waiting for prey. They are cold blooded animals, so it is possible for them to eat only one large meal that will last them an entire year. Thermoregulating Behaviour to maintain body temperature at 30 – 32 o C. Often you will see a saltwater crocodile gaping (its mouth open) and this enables the Crocodile to cool down

The temperature at which the egg is kept determines the sex of the baby crocodile ! If the egg is kept at 31.6 degrees Celsius it will be male. Hotter or colder it will be a female !

Marine iguana Herbivorous May grow to a length of 4 feet or more Found in the Galapagos

They feed on algae growing on rocky outcrops, and also small crustacea. Their time is spent lazing on the rocks until optimum temperature is reached, then into the water for up to an hour to feed, only to get cold again, requiring a rapid heat exchange with the sun on the rocks again.