Deadly sea serpents thriving at BioPark

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - An ordering error has landed two of the world's deadliest snakes in a behind-the-scenes aquatic tank at the Rio Grande Zoo.

The striped sea snake, Hydrophis fasciatus, native to the Indian Ocean, is extremely difficult to care for in captivity, and the ABQ BioPark has helped the pair thrive since their arrival on April 22.

The snakes were accidentally included in a marine fish order placed by a wholesaler in California. The BioPark responded to a notice sent around the country looking for someone to house the snakes.

Four hours later, BioPark staff transferred the 3-foot-long snakes to a large, round tank in the aquatic facility behind-the-scenes at the Zoo.

No facility in the U.S. has successfully raised this species in captivity. With no model to follow, the BioPark staff is continually adapting their care, combining expertise from aquarists and herpetologists. The snakes will remain off exhibit as zookeepers learn more about their needs.

“This is a very sensitive animal and usually does not fare well, or even eat, in captivity,” Doug Hotle, curator of reptiles and amphibians, said in a statement released by the BioPark. “It’s pretty significant that we’ve kept them alive. They are thriving, gaining weight and exhibiting natural behaviors.

"This is not just a breakthrough in learning how raise them, as that is not the primary goal of a zoo. We’re learning about a rarely studied species and how to protect it in the wild. Each day, the snakes teach us things that we would never learn in the wild.”

Hotle said a major challenge is providing adequate amounts of fresh water and a low-stress environment. Though they are marine reptiles and spend their entire lives in the ocean, sea snakes require fresh water and drink from the layer that collects on the surface of the ocean after a rainfall.

Hotle plans present his department’s findings at the International Herpetological Society in Ft. Worth, Texas in July.