Farmers stunned after near-extinct creature resurfaces decades after disappearing: 'We were a bit worried'
The critically endangered Masters' snake, which is just 30 centimeters long (less than 12 inches), has been on a downward trajectory because of the rising number of fires in Victoria's Big Desert Wilderness Park.
Zoos Victoria senior biologist in herpetology Nick Clemann told ABC News Australia, "After a period of a few decades with no reports of that species, we were a bit worried."
He also praised local farmers for supporting him and his team of surveyors in their search for the species.
Clemann said an increase in planned burns, along with bushfires fueled by the climate crisis, has impacted the amount of land available for the Masters' snakes' habitat.
Snakes are a crucial part of their respective ecosystems. As the University of Illinois detailed, they eat pests, such as rodents, and can be prey for larger animals. This helps to maintain biodiversity.
But extreme weather events like wildfires aren't the only threat. Land clearing for agriculture and urban development is another issue, as the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation detailed.
Clemann said farmers' investment in the survival of the Masters' snake has been refreshing.
"There's this engagement with nature on the wild parts of their farms that is wonderful to see and we're hoping that will get passed on through the generations," he told ABC News Australia.
The success of the surviving Masters' snakes is one of several instances of species surviving in spite of larger climate concerns.
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In neighboring New Zealand, a farmer found a pocket of endangered Canterbury knobbled weevils, once thought to be extinct. And in Cambodia, the Siamese crocodile has made an impressive comeback after being reintroduced to their habitat in 2011.
But as Clemann noted, "We've got a lot of work to do to find where they are, protect those habitats, try and find more populations, and potentially in the future to reintroduce them to areas where they've been lost."
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