Why Are There No Sea Snakes in the Atlantic?

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest on Earth, and yet there are no sea snake populations to be found there. What’s keeping aquatic serpents from making a home in these waters?
#SciShow #Snakes #Biology #Evolution
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[@SciShow]

Go to Brilliant.org/SciShow to try out Brilliant’s Daily Challenges. The first 200 subscribers get 20% off an annual Premium subscription.

[@JamesM1994]

You didn't mention the suez canal

[@anthrowolf1328]

Could a mammal have evolved into a form we would call snake-like? We already have a few mammals that are fish-like, whales, dolphins, sea-lions, seals etc.

[@tradcatholic]

That's good because I hate snakes. Yes, I'm one of those girls.

[@jasong9502]

I'm surprised the northern water snake never adapted to salt water... that's the closest to an Atlantic water snake 🐍

[@notarobot459]

Now let's hope nobody smuggles sea snakes and free them into the atlantic

[@A-ro-2803]

The drinking water thing is crazy. Great video as always.

[@roddyaxolotl8519]

maybe we should try that sometime

[@laurieparis2203]

Totally my favorite part of the whole video! Like who even knew that was a thing?

[@burleighsurfography2241]

I am testing this next time it rains

[@TheCimbrianBull]

I actually learned a new thing today!

[@meloniejen8400]

*D E C A D E N C E*

[@heliosphaeresonnen_wind_ki5720]

i am blown away by that thin rainwaterlayer.

[@dstinnettmusic]

A whole ocean with no snakes was something I didn't know I had to be thankful for...but I am thankful for this.

[@ffdreams]

David Stinnett well there are other animals there that are just as deadly lol

[@Sireannon]

Never considered that sea snakes don't live in the Atlantic, neat.

[@rebeccareeses]

TIL

[@Novella1]

I make similar videos and put a lot of work into it. Can you check it out and tell me your thoughts?

[@frikativos]

I was wondering this same question less than a month ago. I am so glad we don't have sea snakes here. :D

[@madhippy3]

One less thing to worry about if you live on the Atlantic!

[@carissstewart3211]

A thin layer of rainwater on the ocean surface? The ocean just off the coast of Namibia is too dry? Now I know what I'm going to be thinking about for the rest of the day.

[@Dragrath1]

@Black-Handed_Ice_ Gwiazda There is a density gradient and there have actually been times in the past namely the Younger Dryas where a substantial layer of water formed that it took years to equilibrate with the seawater below

[@mikesimonian484]

I'm thinking don't get lost at sea there.

[@whafflete6721]

@@mikesimonian484 tbf yes u won't wanna or else ur boat gonna been found miles away from the shore along with ur dehydronated corpse

[@torianholt2752]

@Dragrath1 I've heard that Spanish sailors were dumbfounded to encounter fresh water hundreds of miles at sea off the coast of South America, little did they know that the source of this was the mighty Amazon River and its enormously discharge which essentially forms a channel that runs through saltwater.

[@Master_Therion]

We don't see snakes in the Atlantic because there are no sea snakes there. They are very Pacific about where they want to live.

[@ungoyone]

Thanks Maester Theon!

[@housephone9090]

*slow clapping*

[@Triairius]

I'm mad at you for this. Lol

[@-zephyressence-2018]

The comment section wouldn't be the same without you here sir! Lol

[@THETRIVIALTHINGS]

lol

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

They might not be brave enough to head for the Atlantic, but there's no need to call them Yellow Bellied Sea Snakes.

[@MtnNerd]

"Skeleton Coast" sounds like it belongs on a map in the back of a fantasy book.

[@remliqa]

Yeah, right next to Death Valley.

[@curvy4655]

The name comes from the skeletal remains of shipwrecks that got stuck there. Big old ship bones buried in the dunes... Totaly belongs in fantasy.

[@harrybetteridge7532]

@@remliqa turn left at blood falls.

[@vangu2918]

@@harrybetteridge7532 And then a twenty degree drop over at Fire Falls.

[@DownTopable]

There’s a snake sometimes in the Atlantic Ocean, whenever my mother in law goes for a dip

[@guardianoffire8814]

So your stating that you get aroused by your mother-in-law wearing a bathing suit when she goes for a swim. lol

[@davidbarnett342]

@@guardianoffire8814 I took it as shes a snake. Like a hateful liar or what not.

[@YouTubeExplore777]

Someones got a boner for mommy. 😘

[@maracachucho8701]

Why would you make a joke about your mother in law?

[@WickedWildlife]

Fascinating stuff! Could you do a video on snake bite in India? Their “big four” kill 50,000 people a year and there would be an interesting video on how antivenin made in the south of India is turning out to be ineffective in other parts of the country

[@WickedWildlife]

TheBrodsterBoy it’s true, but a little technical, firstly the saw scaled viper is a member of the big 4 (though in India the russels viper kills more people) the tricky part is genetics are now showing that there might be many closely related species of saw scaled vipers. If they are broken into species then they likely call behind some other groups OR we have to lump all cobras and other groups together I personally still refer to them as the most common cause of snake bite death on earth

[@highjinx6519]

Wicked Wildlife thanks for the info. I’m a dork when it comes to random facts about animals & nature period & even though I can’t remember what I wore yesterday or something I watched 5 min ago half the time, somehow I retain that stuff for life.

[@WickedWildlife]

High Jinx I understand that I can’t remember my times tables but make a living teaching people about wildlife!

[@TommoCarroll]

Is it because you can’t *sea the snakes* ? 🐍 Thank you, but please hold the applause. I am but a mere human with superhuman puns.

[@Master_Therion]

Tom, we made similar puns at the same time. lol Great minds think alike???

[@highjinx6519]

No offense but master therion’s was much funnier

[@Theycallmethek3]

On a scale from 1-10

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

They slithered out of the Atlantic to the Pacific. 50 points to Slytherin

[@IamTheHolypumpkin]

I didn't even know that there are snakes that live on the sea, especially not the open sea

[@nw932]

Because Thor defeated Jormungandr.

[@baysword]

Thor for President!

[@juliankirby9880]

This makes mythological sense.

[@GrankFarrett]

Checkmate atheist!

[@reddragon2335]

This is true.

[@bla2220]

You should do one on that thin layer of rain that floats on the ocean. I've never heard of that before.

[@roy4173]

So...there has never been stowaway sea snakes in ships? I feel like that that has been one of the more common ways invasive species were able to make it across hostile living conditions into more favorable territory.

[@qwertyTRiG]

Famously, rats.

[@raj-rajesh]

Roy stowaway land snakes ...sure!!! sea snakes cannot stow in the cargo hold and live unless somebody put them in an aquarium.

[@mikesimonian484]

@@raj-rajesh In the bilge.

[@RAFMnBgaming]

I feel like getting on top of a container ship is probably a little beyond a snake. They do kinda paint them in poison.

[@BierBart12]

@@raj-rajesh Ships always have a bit of water in them that's pumped in and out as needed, for stabilization

[@Nhoj31neirbo47]

They are all on the plane.

[@whafflete6721]

i'm sick of the motherfucking snake on this motherfucking plane crew: *put the coral snake into the oven*

[@brokestudentinschool2731]

who ever did the editing great job making the video 4:20

[@amiablebee7318]

it's 4:21 now. what have you done

[@exoterminator]

Could they now travel through the human built Suez Canal to the Atlantic, or the Red sea too dry?

[@garethbaus5471]

Don't forget the Panama canal.

[@exoterminator]

@@garethbaus5471 they spoke about the Panama canal, and how a few individuals got through, but not enough to sustain a population. However the Panama canal is made of locks that travel over the land, while the Suez canal is essentially just a long trench connecting two seas, which would be much easier for animals to cross.

[@steelersguy74]

There aren’t any in the Red Sea.

[@viniciussurkamp6633]

@@exoterminator In both cases the sea snakes would become invasive species, just like the lionfish.

[@AriaAzari]

SciShow, one of the rare channel in KZbin that make videos only for advertisement! How many videos this channel made that were only informative without any advertisment? Almost none. Very very simple videos that extracted from Wikipedia home page. They spend more time on advertisment narrations than original content.

[@fakepants]

I just assumed they they get caught in the Gulf Stream and are obliterated once they reach Ireland - as per the curse of St. Patrick.

[@ipostwater6491]

diskotyque this is true

[@fnansjy456]

One was found off the coast of ireland , I think it was a released pet or could have come from a cargo ship

[@duckgoesquack4514]

3:05 life finds a way.... Especially when it comes to fu@$ing

[@trolfaceman5324]

the duration of this episode is *nice*

[@lucianomacias1589]

Hi, I’m from Santa Marta, Colombia, and I’ve seen what seems to be sea snakes like twice while diving. So they surely have gone through the Panama Canal

[@growlinghands4696]

I had a sea snake for a pet for awhile when I was young - a woman found it on the beach, wrapped in a towel, slung it on the back of her bike and brought it to my dad, who was the HS science teacher. We named him Sammy and kept him in a tank on our patio until he was well and we could release him. We were on a Pacific island so we knew they were there, but that's the only one I ever saw.

[@kezkezooie8595]

Once again, you've fascinated me with something I'd never even considered until I saw the video title. Thanks!

[@palindrome.]

The Sea Without Snakes: An Isthmus Miracle.

[@woodfur00]

I can't tell you how much I love that Hank's mind is blown even harder than mine by this information.

[@maylien]

Fascinating ! You guys are the Best!

[@SpeakChinglish]

Sea snakes... surprised no one has a made a horror movie out of them yet

[@petergray2712]

Though their venom is pretty potent. But most species aren't biters.

[@patrickmccurry1563]

There have been loads of horrors involving snakes often giant constrictors like anacondas. But when we get into open ocean, they tend to go for monsters less reminiscent of real world animals. That is interesting.

[@dafak5489]

Like a titanaboa or whatever you call those dinosaur snakes but make them venomous and in the ocean. That would make a good movie tbh

[@Pilas.Y.Alerta]

"Ive had it with these motherfucking sea snakes on this motherfucking sea plane" -Bill Cosby

[@NAirlines]

What about going through the Suez Canal and through the Mediterranean Sea?

[@torianholt2752]

I think the Red Sea is too "dry" for them as well.

[@Skankhunter420]

No snakes in the Atlantic? Tell that to south Florida.

[@carissstewart3211]

Sea snakes. There are no sea snakes native to the Atlantic ocean. Of course there are other types of snakes living along the Atlantic.

[@Skankhunter420]

@@carissstewart3211 I know...i didn't differentiate between snakes and sea snakes, it was meant as more of a joke because there's 20ft python's swimming in the gulf at times lol.

[@SrDerp-rj2ip]

If my family never moved I would.

[@dkdrock456]

This is such a great episode, info dump about multiple things, like the thin layer of rain water that is "drinkable" and the skeletal coast by the dessert, awesome! Also, there's a whoooooole ocean with no snakes in it!

[@fadimations8770]

Im in Southeastern PA and there are sea/water snakes in rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. Sometimes i see them in NJ

[@MoreImbaThanYou]

Dear Sea Snakes, plz stay in your ocean. Sincerly all of europe

[@emsmnms3507]

MoreImbaThanYou and the east coast of america

[@Playerofakind]

No let them come

[@cerverg]

Probably it'd be too cold there anyway. There are only 2 spots that they can make it in the Atlantic - the Caribbean and the humid pard of the west african coast

[@Tommygunn776]

One second from the perfect length of video. But very nice video.

[@dummypg6129]

What if some ships with sea snakes onboard, sink in the middle of Atlantic, will the sea snakes survive given they can escape from that ship.

[@soiledhalo2296]

Would have to be the Yellow Bellied. The Atlantic is pretty much devoid of islands for the most part.

[@maxravenwood3877]

I grew up on the east coast of the United States and was taught to be wary of ponds and ditches because there could be snakes in there, and I've now lived on the west coast for over three years before realizing that that's not a problem anymore.

[@troyc7726]

I love random stuff like this

[@nicholasalbeck7114]

Hardest I've laughed at Hank's delivery. So funny.

[@danielnewhouse7033]

I don't know if people compliment you on your commercials but. I like the old school approach 2 commercials who are the people in the videos are doing the advertising. Thanks for all you do!

[@Phoenix-ug1ru]

4:20, nice

[@abbieq11]

Sea snakes on SciShow what a mouthful

[@sephikong8323]

Here I go again, looking for answers to questions I didn't even know I asked myself before seeing the video that answers them, very nice indeed

[@Chris-jw8vm]

This looks like a interesting avenue to become a super villian. Release thousands of poisonous sea snakes in the Mediterranean sea.

[@FreedomAnderson]

Venomous.

[@Chris-jw8vm]

@@FreedomAnderson "While unusual, there are a few species of snake which are actually poisonous. Rhabdophis keelback snakes are both venomous and poisonous - their poisons are stored in nuchal glands and are acquired by sequestering toxins from poisonous toads the snakes eat." Why even bother releasing the snakes if they aren't also poisonous. And ofcourse the next step is to release poisonous toads.

[@eliluttrell7637]

Would love to know if there is a way to harvest the fresh water on top of the ocean in an emergency survival situation?

[@annisaa1206]

I've just found this kzbin.info/www/bejne/qH7JloSAgriFsLs Haven't watched it yet but the title is interesting: "Rainwater Harvesting on Open Ocean" *sorry for my english

[@erikjohnson9223]

Or you could just make a simple solar "still" (use solar heat to evaporate water [salt isn't volatile], connected to another, shaded bottle where the water vapor can condense mainly at night). The condensate will be fresh, though volatile contaminates like ammonia or some organics could get in.

[@georgigeorgiev4871]

0:23-0:30 I can watch on repeat whole day.

[@darrylarthur5283]

thanks Hank. thanks patrons

[@hismajesty9951]

Hi Hank. Where could I get access to the world map at 0:50? It looks great!

[@zblurth855]

sound really fun to have the panama canal being a breading route

[@jfikri1]

Hank, can do a video how nose booger form? & what happens if you don't dig them out? Do our nose get clog?

[@StephenBrasel]

If the ocean off the skeleton coast can go years without rain, 2:19 and desert environments include any area that receives less than 10 inches of rainfall annually, there are some parts of the ocean that can be considered desert.

[@Mr.Engineer.]

Where did you find that exciting world map!?

[@AirIUnderwater]

Yellow bellied sea snake: It's too cold to go into these waters! Global warming: I gotchu, fam! *cranking on the heat*

[@r.matthewwarren8094]

AirIUnderwater Global warming would do the opposite. The warmer air would melt more ice in Antarctica and cool the ocean even more.

[@sahb8091]

I'm tempted to fill up my boat with a breeding population of sea snakes and go drop them in the Atlantic now.

[@jeromeclemente3672]

It's indeed wild, Hank

[@gregorynovikov1450]

Next video should be, what elements have a consumable form and how they are necessary for our nutrition.

[@dafak5489]

I saw a zebra pattern snake (not sure its exact color but it was dark shade in the water) swim by me in a beach in rhode island during a field trip for a youth program about 19 years ago. Basically all of us saw it, ever since then i haven't step foot in any body of water whether fresh or salt.

[@amandagriggs9646]

QUESTION FOR SCISHOW: I live in the Chesapeake bay watershed and I’m curious as to how they got there and not in the ocean? I see them all the time by rocky rivers and bay jetty’s

[@torianholt2752]

They're probably water moccasins or some other type of water snake, especially since the Chesapeake is more brackish than true marine waters.

[@pistolpetepeterson]

The rain water bit was something new I learned today. I would have assumed it wasa method similar to some fish that use an organ to filter the salt out. but if that is the case: Could fresh water snakes like water moccasin and cotton mouth move to salt water?

[@weepat5325]

Why can't the sea snakes use the Red Sea/Suez Canal route into the Med and then on to the Atlantic?

[@paulopezbotella7216]

I don't know for sure but I'm guessing that it's because of the dryness, the Red Sea is surounded by desserts and if they even managed to get into the Mediterranean Sea it would still be pretty dry, with desserts on one side (north of africa) and not desserted but quite dry places on the other (south of Europe).

[@KuK137]

@@paulopezbotella7216 Yeah, it's not like Suez canal goes right through a lake, and on its end you have Nile, one of the largest rivers in the world... Oh wait...

[@JustinGabriel425]

Never heard of the drinking rainwater fact. That's crazy.

[@jimparsons6803]

Interesting. Being an extraordinarily amateur herpetologist (I've read some books and field manuals) I did not know that about the Yellow Bellied Sea Snake and its watering habits.

[@mikesimonian484]

You study herpes?

[@aidanlevy2841]

what about the Suez Canal? It is warm enough all year and during monsoon it probably rains enough.

[@macsnafu]

I'd heard of dry ice, but now I know what 'dry water' is!

[@davidbergmann8948]

Snakes are cool 🍄

[@bobthegoat7090]

I really want to know more about this rainwater layer. How thick is it and could we potentially harvest it? I guess it might form because saltwater is denser

[@Double-Negative]

Pretty sure I saw one in the Chesapeake bay 7 years ago.

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

It just goes to show how a tiny confluence of challenges can determine an entire species' survival/habitat.

[@alibentz8692]

An old Hawaiian man told me that the reason Polynesians were able to go so far across the sea is they took advantage of those fresh water puddles on the surface of the sea.

[@gwvaio]

Answers to questions you never knew to ask

[@staurosmenexes7295]

What about the Suez canal that connects the red sea with the Mediterranean they could pass from it more easily since it is all on one level and the water is pretty warm

[@loneforest6541]

sea snakes loves mangrove forest, if u throw a small net for fishing in Sundarban (largest mangrove forest) u will get multiple sea snakes with fish. They usually don't bite but they are the most venomous snakes, but sadly last month one fisherman died from sea snake bite.

[@donplummer8334]

Saw a few during swim call when in the navy in the Tonkin Gulf. Found out they were poisonous, and so many different species, that there was no anti-venom serum at that time. Heard that a young child of military family was bitten while at the beach, but didn’t hear the outcome. They were quite plentiful, lots of different colors and sizes. Didn’t feel threatened or endangered at the time as they weren’t aggressive in manner. Article doesn’t mention that they venomous, so I need to do some research to check my knowledge.

[@OLBICHL]

Samuel L. Jackson will be like: "I've had it with these mazzafakin sea snakes on this mazzafakin atlantic coastal plain!"

[@dukeallenso3334]

Somebody’s gonna release these snakes in the Mediterranean after watching your video , lol 😂

[@demonsXneverXdie]

Man what a cool question!

[@NickBiancalana]

You know, one day someone will make an episode specifically to tell Midwesterners about all the stuff they have no clue about, not living near any oceans... Sea snakes???

[@woodfur00]

Same

[@itaybron]

hush, don't give mother nature ideas!

[@crazycatlady39]

More like stupid people. That's partly why Florida has an invasion of pythons.

[@urmorph]

Good show. Namib is accented on the first syllable. (Been there.)

[@e.a.b8278]

That is bit exactly true, I am from Santa elena Roatan, an island in the Caribbean we have sea snakes black and white stripes like zebra there.

[@markgarin6355]

Failed to mention that if the non-lock path between the Pacific and Atlantic is completed that may allow them to migrate in numbers. Perhaps the lock structure of the Panama canal and issue that most fish in the Atlantic don't what they are and are likely to try and eat them, not realizing they are poisonous, will still kill a bunch of single snakes off.

[@LogansAquatics]

Ive seen a sea snake in the gulf of mexico in Florida. Just once though. Guess it got through the panama canal and kept going

[@dinovangowan658]

I gained a whole lot of respect for these snakes. Like living in an ocean of water you can't drink so you have to wait for rain to get a sip in? That's one of the biggest evolutionary flexes I can think of...

[@camillecirrus3977]

Ah, i love when SponsoredByBrilliantShow uploads.

[@Celebration-p3u]

I never knew the layer existed!

[@brucefoster2289]

What about the snakes traveling up the Red Sea, through the canal and to the Med and into the Atlantic?

[@38josue91]

I don't know about the Atlantic, but back in 2011 I saw a group of banded sea snakes breeding over a rock at a beach in the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico... If they are in the Caribbean, they are in the Atlantic for sure...

[@amandadev2861]

Very cool info!!!! I wonder why scientists believe Yellow Bellies are not likely to successfully breed in the Caribbean waters. Anyone have a theory?

[@coltcook3367]

I’ve seen a sea snake on the Atlantic side of Florida while I was scuba diving

[@fredi1908]

Well would the sea snakes survive if we manually inserted then into the Caribbean/Atlantic? Would they breed and create a new population?

[@Selove98]

Theoretically, I think they could live there. The Atlantic technically has a food and water source for them. It might not be an ideal place for them though, as the snakes that we would deposit there have evolved to their specific enviroments. In the end, they would either be die off before they can reproduce enough to create a maintainable population, or the opposite can occur where they take over as an invasive species.

[@krisinsaigon]

Before it starts, i'm going to guess, they evolved in the indo pacifi region, and the areas linking that to the atlantic are too cold for sea snakes to get through

[@Starfals]

Atlantic... hmm i bet Indy would love it there. I almost hate them as much as him lol

[@ibelieveicansoar]

🌵 Have you done a video on why there are no cacti native to the Old World? (Well, there's one Rhipsalis in Africa, but it surely originated in the New World a.k.a. the Americas.) On the other hand, all aloes are native to the Old World.

[@kevslighthouse]

What about the Suez Canal? That canal has no locks, right? So couldn't the snakes theoretically swim through it into the Mediterranean?

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

I figured the Capes of Good Hope and Horn were too cold for sea snakes to circumnavigate. But needing rain water to drink? Never occurred to me. Thanks!

[@McGusder]

What about water-snakes (like the cottonmouth) going to the ocean?

[@lolscience1979]

My grandma forbid me to swim in the Atlantic because she swore she saw a snake...

[@neo187420]

I'm more curious to know what would happen if say... someone released a small population of yellow bellied sea snakes off the coast of Florida. would they populate the Atlantic and thrive or would they die out?