Whether I have seen one or not is completely immaterial. What I said was that "I can find no verifiable report" of a sea snake in the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico. It is possible that such a report exists and I have missed it, but I'm pretty good at this stuff. I have ready access to several research libraries as well as the internet. I have checked numerous reference texts. Useful ones include:

Biology of Sea Snakes. 1975. W.A. Dawson, ed.
Sea Snakes. 1987. H. Heatwole.
Venemous Reptiles of North America. 1992. C.H. Ernst.
Venemous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. 2004. J.A. Campbell and W.W. Lamar.

I have also looked up and read many of the scientific papers cited in those books (the journals are sitting here in my office so it wasn't a huge effort).

There were unconfirmed (no specimen, no photo) published reports of Pelamis platurus (also known by the common names "pelagic sea snake" and "yellow-bellied sea snake") in the Caribbean in 1966 and 1970. There was some speculation (Kropach, 1972) about the possibility of Pelamis platurus colonizing the Caribbean through the Panama Canal. A comprehensive 1974 (Hecht et al.) study of the distribution of Pelamis platurus does not show their presence in the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean.

Campbell and Lamar (2004) summarize a report on several specimens of Pelamis platurus collected off the Caribbean coast of Columbia. Although the original report is still in press and will appear in a Columbian journal to which I do not have easy access, these specimens are apparently verifiable. However, they appear to be incidental individuals likely dumped in bilge water from ships passing through the canal and don't appear to represent a reproducing population (yet). Columbia is also a very long distance from Texas.

All these reports refer to the same species. There are no reports of any other species of sea snake from the western hemisphere, much less the Gulf of Mexico. The usual color pattern of Pelamis platurus does not match the pattern described in the original post (although all-yellow individuals were reported from the Bay of Panama by Kropach, 1971).

If you catch a sea snake on the Texas Gulf Coast it would be a sufficiently rare event that the scientific community would like to know about it. As I said before, please take the snake in any condition (carefully, they are dangerously venemous) to the Biology Department of the nearest university. If you brought one to me I would immediately add it to the amphibian and reptile collections that I curate (ASNHC) and would write it up and get the report published.

Cheers,
Kelly McCoy

According to Encarta...

The fastest of all sea snakes, the yellow-bellied sea snake can swim at 3.6 km/h (2 mph). It lives in warm waters along the Pacific coast from California to South America. Like other sea snakes, the yellow-bellied sea snake has a flattened, paddlelike tail for swimming.

and Brittanica...

a medium-sized poisonous snake, Pelamis platurus. It is the only sea snake to be seen on the open ocean, hundreds of miles from any shore. Its range is enormous, extending from the coasts of eastern Africa, southern Asia, and northern Australia across the Pacific to the western coasts of Mexico, Central America, and tropical South America. Thousands of yellow-bellies have�

Here's a picture, but it seems VERY unlikely this is your snake:


The pelagic sea snake is another name for the yellow-bellied sea snake. I read a couple of Marine Biologists' sites and the US Army's Field Guide, too--no sea snakes in the Gulf. The scientists don't seem to know what you know, Yater--they agree with Kelly. Perhaps you have some information or evidence to back up your claim? If not, kindly refrain from making snide comments about posts that are so supported.

I have twice caught green eels when fishing with live or cut bait at the coast. I imagine that's the culprit. If it was a snake, there are several species that can tolerate salt water, but, if it is a true sea snake, that appears to be something never before documented in the Gulf, and, as Kelly stated, you should make every effort to document it, including pictures, and report it to a local college's biology department.

i read somthing a few years ago that said some scientist found an Olive seasnake on the atlantic side of the panama canal, it was not supposed to be there(australian), however **** happens. sea snakes in the gulf are uncommon but they do exsist. furthermore, everyone knows someone who has caught somthing somewhere where it dose not naturally exsist. next time someone encounters one of these sea snakes capture or kill it and call the gamewarden, that will prove to non beleavers that sea snakes are here.

Those non-believers are called marine biologists.

lol.. I avoided this thread after my first post because I wasn't trying to prove anything.

It really doesn't matter to me what the "records" state.

I saw a snake, unlike any other snake I'd ever seen (color)

I know the difference between an eel and a snake.

But now that I know it's rare, if and when I see another one I will catch it.

I saw something at SLP, but it was in the water, so didn't get a very good look. It didn't look like the 2 eels i've seen caught ( how many kinds of eels are there in texas? ) But like i said, i was on the pier and it was in the water.

let's see...we got morays, american, conger and i think one other kind of eel that i know of. oh ya, and ribbonfish if you wanna count those...things.

Did we forget about the "Gulf Salt Marsh Snake"? Just because we do not have "SEA" snakes does not mean we do not have a snake that lives in saltwater. Heck, this snake is even on one of the TP&W posters.

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/fl-guide/Nerodiacclarkii.htm