A sick yellow-bellied sea snake that washed up in usually snake-free New Zealand will be allowed to recuperate over the winter before being released back into the sea, according to news reports on Friday.
The snake, which lives in warmer waters of the Pacific, was found on a beach near Dargaville, in New Zealand's Northland, on Wednesday, the dpa reported.
Dehydrated and cold, it is being treated at an aquarium in Auckland, where it will be allowed to recover, the New Zealand Herald reported.
A member of the cobra family, the yellow-bellied sea snake is thought to be 10 times more venomous than any land snake, the paper said. It uses two fangs to immobilise the small fish it feeds on and there is no known anti-venom for its bite.