What Sea Snake Led to a Swimming Ban in Reunion?

The possible presence in a pool of a striped knit, a venomous snake endemic to New Caledonia, forces the town hall to prohibit swimming.

Swimming prohibited in Saint-Joseph

On January 2, swimming in the Manapany basin in Saint-Joseph, Reunion Island, was prohibited after a sea snake endemic to New Caledonia was observed there. The “striped knit” is a venomous snake, present on the islands.

The decision to suspend swimming in its pool was made by the town hall via a press release. However, Franceinfo specifies that following an inspection carried out this Friday, January 3, the municipality of Saint-Joseph has decided to reopen the Manapany basin for swimming.

Striped knitting, a venomous snake

This famous striped knit is a venomous sea snake, which can be deadly, although it does not have an aggressive character. It spends half its time in the water, notably feeding on moray eels, and the other half on land reproducing, laying eggs or molting.

There are three species of striped knitwear in New Caledonia: yellow striped knitwear, blue striped knitwear and yellow striped knitwear. The main predators of this snake are seabirds and young sharks. It hides in seabird burrows, roots or between stones.

Endemic species of New Caledonia

New Caledonia is a place where there is significant biodiversity. According to the Geo.fr website, the archipelago ranks third in the world in proportion of endemic species after Hawaii and New Zealand. Besides the striped knit, many species are native to this island.

For example, there is the notou. Also called giant carpophagus, it is the largest tree pigeon in the world. How not to mention the cagou. This gray bird is the emblem of New Caledonia. It is one of the birds that is incapable of flight. There is also the Ouvéa parakeet, a threatened bird species, particularly due to animal trafficking.

Source: Franceinfo