Sea snakes swim their way to media glory

Research by the Environment Institute's has made international headlines, following media coverage of her research into sea snakes in , , and .

The research, which was published in , uncovered an extra sense for sea-dwelling snakes.

鈥淟and snakes and many lizards have small raised structures on the scales on their heads 鈥 called scale sensilla 鈥 that they use to sense objects by direct touch,鈥 says Crowe-Riddell.

鈥淲e believe sea snakes use these organs to sense objects at a distance by 鈥榝eeling鈥 movements in the water. This hydrodynamic sense is not an option for land animals. In water, a new way of sensing the environment becomes possible.鈥

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[caption id="attachment_10568" align="aligncenter" width="300"] IMAGE CREDIT: Chris Malam[/caption]



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