Stokes sea snake (Astrotia stokesii) is found from Saudi Arabia east to Pakistan and further east to China, and then south to Australia where it is found along the entire northern coast. This is a large heavy snake that can reach almost 7 feet in length. The color is almost white marked with small and large darker spots. This is a very dangerous poisonous snake.

Sea snakes (Family Hydrophiidae to subfamily Hydophiinae) are a group of snakes that are found in the oceans of the world. Most are found near coral reefs, but the Pelamis genus contains examples that can survive in the open ocean. Chris Mattison counted 62 species in this family. Over 30 different species have been recorded in Australian waters. This family can stand alone as a family, or perhaps should be placed as a subfamily of the Elapidae.

Lizards and Snakes (Squamata Order) share many common characteristics and consequently they are grouped in a single order. There are greater differences between some groups of lizards than there are between other groups of lizards and snakes. The same is true of snakes. Lizards and snakes share a common skull shape. There are perhaps 4,000 species of lizards and perhaps 2,700 species of snakes alive today. In the Great Big Book of Snakes and Reptiles published in 2014, they noted the above estimates.

Reptiles (Class Reptilia) are an ancient group of scaled chordates. These scales may be permanently joined, as in the turtles, or flexible, as in the snakes. Reptiles are land-based. Their eggs are laid on land and the young are air breathing.

In the Great Big Book of Snakes and Reptiles published in 2014, they noted that there are more than 7,000 species of reptiles alive today.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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