Banded Sea Krait Facts (Laticauda colubrina)

Banded Sea Krait Facts (Laticauda colubrina) The banded sea krait is a type of venomous sea snake found in the tropical water of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Although this snakes venom is ten times more potent than that of a rattlesnake, the animal is nonaggressive and only known to bite in self defense. The most common name for the species is the banded sea krait, but its also called the yellow-lipped sea krait. The scientific name Laticauda colubrina gives rise to another common name: colubrine sea krait. While the animal may be called the banded sea snake, its better to call it a krait to avoid confusion with true sea snakes. Fast Facts: Banded Sea Krait Scientific Name: Laticauda colubrinaCommon Names: Banded sea krait, yellow-lipped sea krait, colubrine sea kraitBasic Animal Group: ReptileSize: 34 inches (male); 56 inches (female)Weight: 1.3-4.0 poundsLifespan: Unknown. Most snakes can reach 20 years of age under ideal conditions.Diet: CarnivoreHabitat: Indo-Pacific regionPopulation: Stable, probably numbering in the thousandsConservation Status: Least Concern Description A banded sea krait can be distinguished from other krait species by its yellow snout and from true sea snakes by its flattened body and nostril position. Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Getty Images The banded sea snake has a black head and black-striped body. Its upper surface is blue-gray, with a yellow belly. This snake can be distinguished from related kraits by its yellow upper lip and snout. Like other kraits, it has a flattened body, paddle-shaped tail, and nostrils on the sides of its snout. In contrast, an aquatic sea snake has a paddle tail, but a rounded body and nostrils near the top of its head. Banded sea krait females are substantially larger than males. Females average 142 cm (56 in) in length, while males average 87 cm (34 in) in length. On average, an adult male weighs about 1.3 pounds, while a female weighs around 4 pounds. Habitat and Distribution Banded sea krait (Laticauda colubrina) distribution. Sn1per Banded sea kraits are semiaquatic snakes found in shallow coastal waters of the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean. While juvenile snakes spend most of their time in the water, adult kraits spend about half their time on land. The snakes hunt in water, but must return to digest their food, shed their skin, and reproduce. Banded sea kraits exhibit philopatry, which means they always return to their home islands. Diet and Behavior The head and tail of the banded sea krait look similar, which helps deter potential predators. Placebo365 / Getty Images Banded sea kraits are perfectly adapted to hunt eels, supplementing their diet with small fish and crabs. The snake has never been observed feeding on land. The kraits slender body helps it weave through corals. The snakes tail may be exposed, but the threat from predators is reduced because the tail looks much like the head. Banded sea kraits are solitary nocturnal hunters, but they travel with hunting parties of yellow goatfish and bluefin trevally, which capture prey fleeing from the snake. Banded sea kraits display sexual dimorphism in hunting behavior. Males tend to hunt moray eels in shallow water, while females hunt conger eels in deeper water. Males tend to make multiple kills on a hunt, while females typically only take one prey per hunt. Most animals leave sea kraits alone, but they are preyed upon by sharks and other large fish and sea birds when the snakes surface. In some countries, people catch the snakes to eat them. Venomous Bite Because they spend so much time on land and are attracted to lights, encounters between kraits and humans are common but surprisingly uneventful. Banded sea kraits are highly venomous, but only bite in self-defense if grabbed. In New Caledonia, the snakes have the common name  tricot rayà ©Ã‚  (stripey  sweater) and are considered safe enough to play with children. Bites most often occur when fishermen try to untangle the snakes from fishing nets. The venom contains a powerful neurotoxin that can cause hypertension, cyanosis, paralysis, and potentially death if left untreated. Reproduction and Offspring Banded sea kraits are oviparous; they return to land to mate and lay eggs. Mating occurs in September through December. Males chase the larger, slower females and entwine around her. The males rhythmically contract to produce what are called caudocephalic waves. Copulations takes about two hours, but the mass of snakes may remain entwined for several days. Females deposit up to 10 eggs in a crevice on the land. Only two nests have ever been discovered, so little is known about the how the hatchlings find their way to water. The lifespan of the banded sea krait is unknown. Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the banded sea krait as least concern. The species population is stable and the snake is abundant throughout its range. Significant threats to the snake include habitat destruction, coastal development, and light pollution. While the snake is a human food source, the threat from overharvesting is localized. Coral bleaching may impact the banded sea krait, as it may result in diminished prey abundance. Sources Guinea, Michael L.. Sea snakes of Fiji and Niue. In Gopalakrishnakone, Ponnampalam. Sea Snake Toxicology. Singapore Univ. Press. pp. 212–233, 1994. ISBN 9971-69-193-0.Lane, A.; Guinea, M.; Gatus, J.; Lobo, A. Laticauda colubrina. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2010: e.T176750A7296975. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T176750A7296975.enRasmussen, A.R.;and J. Elmberg. Head for my tail: A new hypothesis to explain how venomous sea snakes avoid becoming prey. Marine Ecology. 30 (4): 385–390, 2009. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0485.2009.00318.xShetty, Sohan and Richard Shine. Philopatry and Homing Behavior of Sea Snakes (Laticauda colubrina) from Two Adjacent Islands in Fiji. Conservation Biology. 16 (5): 1422–1426, 2002. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.00515.xShine, R.; Shetty, S. Moving in two worlds: aquatic and terrestrial locomotion in sea snakes (Laticauda colubrina, Laticaudidae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 14 (2): 338–346, 2001. doi:10.1046/j.14 20-9101.2001.00265.x

Significance of the Court Case of Gideon v. Wainwright

Significance of the Court Case of Gideon v. Wainwright Gideon v. Wainwright was argued on January 15, 1963 and decided on March 18, 1963. Facts of Gideon v. Wainwright Clarence Earl Gideon was accused of stealing from the Bay Harbor Pool Room in Panama City, Florida on June 3, 1961. When he asked for a court appointed counsel, he was denied this because according to Florida law, court appointed counsel was only provided in the case of a capital offense. He represented himself, was found guilty, and was sent to prison for five years. Fast Facts: Gideon v. Wainwright Case Argued: Jan. 15, 1963Decision Issued: March 18, 1963Petitioner: Clarence Earl GideonRespondent: Louie L. Wainwright, Director, Division of CorrectionsKey Question: Does the Sixth Amendments right to counsel in criminal cases extend to felony defendants in state courts?Majority Decision: Justices Black, Warren, Brennan, Stewart, White, Goldberg, Clark, Harlan, DouglasDissenting: NoneRuling: The Supreme Court ruled that under the  Sixth Amendment, states must  provide an attorney to any defendants in criminal cases who are unable to afford their own attorneys. While in prison, Gideon studied in the library and prepared a handwritten Writ of Certiorari that he sent to the United States Supreme Court claiming that he had been denied his Sixth Amendment right to an attorney: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense. (Italics Added) The Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Earl Warren agreed to hear the case. They assigned Gideon a future Supreme Court justice, Abe Fortas, to be his attorney. Fortas was a prominent Washington DC attorney. He successfully argued Gideons case, and the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Gideons favor. It sent his case back to Florida to be retried with benefit  of a public attorney. Five months after the Supreme Court ruling, Gideon was retried. During the retrial, his attorney, W. Fred Turner, was able to show that the chief witness against Gideon was possibly one of the lookouts for the burglary itself. After only one hours deliberation, the jury found Gideon not guilty. This historic ruling was immortalized in 1980 when Henry Fonda took on the role of Clarence Earl Gideon in the movie Gideons Trumpet. Abe Fortas was portrayed by Josà © Ferrer and Chief Justice Earl Warren was played by John Houseman. Significance of Gideon v. Wainwright Gideon v. Wainwright overruled the previous decision of Betts v. Brady (1942). In this case, Smith Betts, a farm worker in Maryland had asked for counsel to represent him for a robbery case. Just as with Gideon, this right was denied him because the state of Maryland would not provide attorneys except in capital case. The Supreme Court decided by a 6-3 decision that a right to an appointed counsel was not required in all cases in order for an individual to receive a fair trial and due process in state trials. It was basically left up to each state to decide when it would provide public counsel. Justice Hugo Black dissented and wrote the opinion that if you were indigent you had an increased chance of conviction. In Gideon, the court stated that the right to an attorney was a fundamental right ​for a fair trial. They stated that due to the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, all states would be required to provide counsel in criminal cases. This significant case created the need for additional public defenders. Programs were developed in states around the country to help recruit and train public defenders. Today, the number of cases defended by public defenders is huge. For example, in 2011 in Miami Dade County, the largest of the 20 Florida Circuit Courts, approximately 100,000 cases were assigned to Public Defenders.