Biological and medical aspects related to the yellow-bellied sea snake Hydrophis platurus (Linnaeus, 1766): A view from Colombia.

In Colombia, 317 species of snakes have been recognized, of which 51 (17%) have medical importance due to the toxicity of their venom. A total of 95% of envenomations are caused by snakes of the family Viperidae and 5% of the family Elapidae. The latter form of envenomation is mainly caused by snakes of the genus Micrurus. The only sea snake described is the yellow-bellied snake (Hydrophis platurus), present in the Pacific Ocean. Although Colombia has approximately 1300 km on the Pacific coast and a significant presence of H platurus, envenomation is rare. As a result of the care of a patient with this type of envenomation and of the donation of a H platurus specimen to our laboratory, we decided to conduct this review on the most relevant biological, epidemiological and clinical aspects of this enigmatic and interesting species.