Scientists have discovered 5 previously unknown snake species with wonderful eyes in the jungles of Central and South America. But they are all in danger.
In the jungles of Panama, scientists have discovered a new species of snake with bright colors and very large eyes. This breed got its name from the mother of American actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Four more new species were discovered in different parts of Central and South America. But all of them are in danger of extinction due to mining, writes Live Science.
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One of the new snake species scientists have discovered is named after actor and conservationist Leonardo DiCaprio. He asked scientists to name this snake with large orange eyes after his mother, Irmelin Indenbirken. Therefore, the new species is now called Sibon irmelindicapriae.
This 38 cm long snake lives on trees 3 meters high in the jungles of Panama as well as Colombia. Like the other four open species, it feeds on slugs and snails. And it is protected from enemies not with the help of bites, but due to the fact that it curls up and exudes a very unpleasant smell.
The other four species with bright colors and large eyes are called Sibon canopy, Sibon marleyae, Sibon vieirai and Dipsas welborni.
According to biologist Alejandro Artega, author of the discovery, the new snake species represent just the tip of the iceberg in terms of discovering new species in this region. But both legal and illegal mining, such as copper and gold in South and Central America, is already causing the extinction of many species. And this also applies to new species of snakes. According to scientists, species still waiting to be discovered may not wait for this moment because they will simply disappear from the face of the Earth.
To discover new species of snakes, scientists conducted a comprehensive study of representatives of the subfamily Dipsadinae snakes, or thick-headed snakes, living in South and Central America. As a result, scientists identified 5 new species that differ from their closest relatives. They had both genetic differences and a distinctive color of their bodies and heads.
According to scientists, these snakes are endangered because they cannot live without trees. And tropical forests are mercilessly destroyed during the extraction of gold and copper. On the other hand, their food – slugs and snails – is also disappearing due to the pollution of the streams and rivers in which they live. This pollution is also associated with mining in this part of the planet.
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Source: Focus
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