Aipysurus laevis
golden seasnake | Olive Sea Snake
Same Genus
Distribution
Description
Large thick body, variable-patterning with two major forms, eastern form mottled dark grey with darker head, northern and western forms light grey with dark back broken by light grey scales, both forms with olive-brown head. Genetic studies indicate that eastern, western and northern animals may represent different species. Venomous though non-aggressive, however it is curious, often approaching and twining itself around divers.
Information
Max Size: 200 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 21.5-31.4°C
Depth: 0-68m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Occurrence: Frequent (13.9% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.