#animalmatingritual

#animalmatingritual

Sea Snake "Attacks" are Actually just Amorous Sea Snake Mistaking Scuba Divers for Potential MatesDivers are often approached by olive sea snakes (Aipysurus laevis), which can be a nerve-wracking experience as the snake is highly venomous. The animal is known to swim right up to an unsuspecting diver and even lick them before swimming away.But what could account for such weird animal behavior? Marine biologist Tim Lynch looked at his own diving experience and realized that the key to solving the question of why olive sea snakes are so attracted to divers lie in their sex and eyesight. First, almost all sea snake "attacks" involve male snakes, and second, these snakes don't have the best eyesight.Lynch explained in an interview with TheScientist:If you look at the orientation of divers and their length, and where they are on the reef, they kind of look like super females. . . . We’re a lot bigger than three kilograms, but for a male sea snake, you’d look like the fifty-foot woman. ‘Wow, look at her! She’s fantastic! I’m going to be able to make so many babies with this enormous sea snake!’ And then . . . because you’re kind of the same length and depth ratio as sea snake, it comes over to you. And then it licks you. . . then the male snake will get slightly disappointed and disappear. And then five minutes later, it’ll forget and see you again, and come racing over again, and lick you again, and get disappointed and disappear.Image: Jack Breedon#AnimalMatingRitual #seasnake #oliveseasnake #diving