Beach bums beware: Poisonous snakes wash up on California beaches

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Beach bums beware: Poisonous snakes wash up on California beaches
Washington Post
First posted: Thursday, January 14, 2016 02:27 PM EST | Updated: Thursday, January 14, 2016 02:30 PM EST
For the third time in recent months, a rare, venomous yellow-bellied sea snake has washed up on California shores, freaking out beach-goers and intriguing biologists.
These creatures typically dwell in more southern, tropical waters and never come ashore.
But scientists believe the phenomenon is tied to the weather.
"Because the water is so warm here now, these snakes can swim, hunt and reproduce just like they could in the northern part of their tropical range," Paul Barber, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA, told the Huffington Post after the first snake was found in October of last year.
Yellow-bellied sea snakes can grow to the length of a baseball bat and are (potentially) way more lethal. Their venom contains a potent neurotoxin. A single bite can cause respiratory, heart or nerve failure, according to the University of Hawaii's Waikiki Aquarium.
This Dec. 17, 2015 photo shows a dead venomous snake in Huntington Beach, Calif. A yellow-bellied sea snake from southern Mexico has been discovered on Bolsa Chica beach, only the third one ever reported in California. (Ed Crisostomo/The Orange County Register via AP)

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