A Tigersnake Notechis scutatus foraging in saltwater

An adult Tigersnake Notechis scutatus was observed foraging for fish in shallow saltwater beside a barrage near the mouth of the Murray River in South Australia. The snake captured and ingested a fish, probably a Tamar Goby Afurcagobius tamarensis. To our knowledge, this is the first record of a terrestrial elapid snake foraging in a marine habitat. Because Tigersnakes belong to the phylogenetic lineage that gave rise to viviparous sea snakes, our observations support published speculations about the scenario where terrestrial snakes evolved to exploit saltwater prey.