Poisonous seasnake

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32563, 24 March 1971, Page 1

Poisonous seasnake

(N.Z. Preu Association) AUCKLAND, March 23. A Whenuapal primary school teacher, Mr T. J. Hemmingsen, was startled to learn today that an eeiHke fish which he had picked up was in fact a deadly poisonous yellow-bellied 'seasnake. There is no known antidote for the snake’s venom. Yellow-bellied snakes had been found only 15 times in New Zealand waters up to 1961, said Mr Hemmingsen. Mr Hemmingsen and another Whenuapal teacher, Mr W. B. Ronald, were on a field trip with their pupils to Bethell’s Bay when they

saw a snake in the creek. Mr Hemmingsen’s attempt to catch it failed when it slithered through his hands. Once again using his bare hands, Mr Hemmingsen forced the black-backed snake into a bucket. As soon as it was trapped in the bucket tire snake emitted a red liquid. When the group, pupils of Forms I and 11, arrived back at Whenuapal Primary School, Mr Ronald telephoned the marine biologist at the Auckland War Memorial Museum (Mr B. Stephenson), who said that New Zealand was the most southern point in the yellow-bellied snake’s range of travel.