Rare Venomous Sea Snake Found at Southern California Beach
Listen to the story
A beachgoer in Southern California recently found a rare and highly venomous sea snake at Crystal Cove Beach.
The person accidentally picked up the snake, not knowing at first what it was.
After realizing it was a sea snake, the person safely tossed it back into the ocean.
This is not the first strange snake sighting at Southern California beaches recently. A rattlesnake was also reported at the same beach.
Sea snakes normally live far out in the ocean and rarely wash up on shore.
Because of this, seeing one on a popular beach like Crystal Cove is very unusual.
Sea snakes are known for having strong venom, which can be dangerous to humans.
However, experts note that these snakes are generally not aggressive toward people.
They usually only bite if they feel threatened or are handled carelessly.
Crystal Cove is a well-known and busy coastal area, which makes such sightings more noticeable to the public.
The story was reported by KTLA, a news outlet based in California.
Officials have not given more details about why the snake ended up on the beach.
Beach visitors are being reminded to avoid touching unfamiliar sea creatures, just in case.
Marine experts may continue to monitor the coastline for further unusual animal sightings.
Vocabulary10 words
- rare
- not common; not often found
- venomous
- having poison that can badly hurt someone
- toss
- to throw something gently
- wash up
- when the sea carries something onto land
- shore
- land next to the sea
- venom
- poison made by an animal
- coastal
- near or next to the sea
- aggressive
- ready to attack or fight
- threatened
- feeling in danger
- monitor
- to watch something carefully over time
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Crystal Cove Beach 2. Put it back in the ocean 3. They rarely attack unless threatened
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A beachgoer in Southern California recently found a rare and highly _____ sea snake at Crystal Cove Beach.
The person accidentally picked up the snake, not knowing at first what it _____.
After realizing it was a sea snake, the person safely _____ it back into the ocean.
This is not the first strange snake _____ at Southern California beaches recently.
Sea snakes normally live far out in the ocean and rarely wash up on _____.
Because of this, seeing one on a popular beach like Crystal Cove is very _____.
Sea snakes are known for having strong _____, which can be dangerous to humans.
However, experts note that these snakes are generally not _____ toward people.
They usually only bite if they feel _____ or are handled carelessly.
Crystal Cove is a well-known and busy _____ area, which makes such sightings more noticeable to the public.
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