A question we are asked regularly here at MarinePatch is do sea snakes breathe air? So we thought we would create a blog post answering exactly that.
When most people think of snakes, they picture the scary, venomous snakes that live in forests, jungles, and deserts.
But there are also snakes that live in the ocean, often equally as venomous.
But do these beautiful snakes breathe air?
In short, the answer is yes. Like whales, dolphins, and other marine animals, sea snakes must surface to breathe air, which allows them to stay submerged to hunt prey.
Let’s take a closer look…
Do Sea Snakes Actually Breathe Air?
Unlike sharks, sea snakes do not have gills that allow them to extract oxygen from the water. Meaning that sea snakes need to surface to breathe air in order to stay underwater.
Sea snakes are among the most completely aquatic animals that breathe air, so it may seem strange that they need to breathe as they spend most of their lives at sea (as the name suggests!)
With a single breath of air, they are able to dive up to depths of 800 feet, which is deeper than human scuba divers can go.
However, this is rare, as they much prefer to swim closer to the surface in search of prey.
How Do Sea Snakes Breathe?
Sea snakes have multiple nostrils on their forehead which allow them to briefly surface and inhale oxygen whilst still keeping their body submerged.
The nostrils are sealed by valves that close when they go underwater and open when they surface, very similar to the blowhole of a whale.
These valves have evolved over time to ensure that sea snakes do not accidentally breathe in any unwanted saltwater.
Although sea snakes do not drink salt water, they still consume quite a lot whilst in the sea hunting for prey.
Sea snakes have special evolved sublingual glands which sit under the snake’s tongue to push out salt from the bloodstream into the mouth!
When the snake has the salt in its mouth, it will simply spit it out and remove the unwanted salt from its body. Pretty cool, right?
But what about when sea snakes need to drink freshwater?
Well, believe it or not, many sea snakes actually die from thirst as they sometimes don’t get the fresh water they need to survive.
Spending all day in saltwater isn’t ideal if you need to drink fresh water to survive. This is why some sea snakes will make the venture onto land to drink, but many will wait for the rain to fall and drink the fresh water that sits on top of the sea instead.
How Long Can Sea Snakes Hold Their Breath?
Many sea snakes can hold their breath for around 30 minutes, which means that they also need to surface every 30 minutes or so.
However, some sea snakes are able to hold their breath for as long as eight hours!
This is because some sea snakes are able to absorb up to 33% of the oxygen they need through their skin, as well as expel around 90% of carbon dioxide through the same method.
Do Sea Snakes Have Lungs?
So how do sea snakes manage to hold their breath for up to eight hours for such small animals? They must have huge lungs, right?
Well, over the many years these snakes have existed, they have evolved one single lung that is almost the length of their whole body.
This lung fills with air when the sea snake breathes and allows the snake to stay submerged for long periods of time.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, yes sea snakes breathe air. They need oxygen to survive which means they must surface to breathe air like many other marine animals.
However, some sea snakes are able to hold their breath for up to eight hours, allowing them to dive to the depths in order to hunt for prey.
Sea snakes have unique nostrils on the top of their heads which means they don’t need to actually come out of the water to breathe.
This is super efficient and ensures they stay out of danger from predators that could be flying above looking for a quick snack.
Hopefully, this post has been helpful and you now know a little more about how sea snakes breathe and how they do so.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this post and feel free to share it with others who may find it helpful.
Hi, I’m George – the founder of MarinePatch. I created this blog as marine wildlife has been my passion for many years. I’ve spent over a decade in the marine wildlife industry and spent years out in the field conducting research. In today’s modern world, an online blog is the best place for me to share my findings and reach as many people as possible to help educate and inspire others. Enjoy your time here and you’re welcome back anytime!