Reptiles & amphibians · La Saladita, Guerrero

Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

Hydrophis platurus

Spanish: Serpiente Marina Amarilla

Yellow-bellied Sea Snake (Hydrophis platurus)
Photographed by yancir on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

Hydrophis platurus, commonly known as the yellow-bellied sea snake, yellowbelly sea snake or pelagic sea snake, is a species of snake from the subfamily Hydrophiinae (the sea snakes) found in tropical oceanic waters around the world, excluding the Atlantic Ocean. It was the only member of the genus Pelamis but recent molecular evidence suggests that it is more closely related to the species of the genus Hydrophis.

TaxonomyReptilia › Squamata › Elapidae
Local records13 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records953 on iNaturalist
Most recent records2020 – 2025
Months of the 8 most recent records
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Reptiles & amphibians guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Yellow-bellied Sea Snake (Hydrophis platurus) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/hydrophis-platurus/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.