Storm Creatures

Learn, in this video, about the unexpected animals that may be arriving during El Niño.

Yellow-bellied sea snake

This year's El Niño conditions will bring infrequent visitors to the California coast. One that is especially likely to show up and to also generate a lot of excitement is the Yellow-bellied Sea Snake. Only six Yellow-bellied Sea Snakes have ever been documented in California, and five of these washed ashore during previous El Niño events. 

In this video, Dr. Greg Pauly, NHM's Herpetology Curator, explains how species like this snake respond to shifting ocean conditions on our changing planet.