Circle Snake Click on image for full size (14K JPG) Illustration by Lisa Gardiner

Plans to move sea snakes between Pacific islands might be foiled by the snakes and their fascinating instinct to find their home!

The sea snakes live near reefs in shallow waters next to Pacific Ocean islands. People have been fishing for the snakes around some of the islands because their skins have been used to make a type of leather. Too much fishing reduced the number of snakes until there were no more in the shallow water next to some islands. To solve this problem, conservationists planned to move some snakes from places where there are many to places where they have disappeared.

However, the snakes might not want to move! According to researchers who study the reptiles, there is a problem with the plan because certain types of sea snakes have an instinct to always go back home. Some sea snakes have homing behavior, which means that they can navigate, finding their way over long distances, enabling them to get back to their island.

Other animals have homing behavior too, such as crocodiles, sea turtles, whales and homing pigeons. Some animals can find their way because they remember the landmarks they must pass. Other animals have a special ability to find specific locations, even without landmarks. Scientists believe these animals might be using the positions of stars or the Earth’s magnetic field to point them in the right direction.

Circle Snake Click on image for full size (14K JPG) Illustration by Lisa Gardiner

Plans to move sea snakes between Pacific islands might not work because some snakes have a natural desire to go home!

The sea snakes live in shallow water next to Pacific Ocean islands. People have been fishing for the snakes too much and now there are no more in the shallow water next to some islands. To solve this problem, some snakes will be moved from places where there are many snakes to places where there are none.

However, the snakes might not want to move! Scientists say certain types of sea snakes have an instinct to always go back home. They have homing behavior, which means that they can find their way over long distances, and so they could get back to their home island.

Other animals have homing behavior too, such as crocodiles, sea turtles, whales and homing pigeons. Some can find their way because they remember the landmarks they must pass. Others have a special ability to find specific locations, even without landmarks. Scientists believe these animals might be using the positions of stars or the Earth’s magnetic field to point them in the right direction.

Circle Snake Click on image for full size (14K JPG) Illustration by Lisa Gardiner

Plans to move sea snakes from one place to another might not work because some snakes have a natural wish to go home!

The sea snakes live in the shallow water next to islands in the Pacific Ocean. People have been fishing for the snakes too much and now there are no more next to some islands. To solve this, some snakes will be moved from places where there are many snakes to places where there are none.

But the snakes might not want to move! Scientists say that certain types of sea snakes have a natural urge to always go home and they are able to find their way over long distances.

Other animals can find their way over long distances too, such as crocodiles, sea turtles, whales and homing pigeons. Some avoid getting lost by remembering the landmarks they pass. Others might use the stars or the Earth’s magnetic field to point them in the right direction.