Latest news with #AlejandroArteaga
Miami Herald
8 hours ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Black and white creature — snacking on snails — is new species in French Guiana
In the tropical rainforests of French Guiana, a new species has been hiding in plain sight. Sibon nebulatus, a species of snail-eating snake, is found all the way from Mexico to northeastern Brazil, according to a study published June 6 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. But now, genetic testing has revealed that some snakes mistaken for S. nebulatus were actually a different, cryptic species. Cryptic species are animals that may morphologically, or physically, look the same as another species, but are 'genetically distinct' and have their own evolutionary lineage. The new species was found in French Guiana, researchers said, on the northern edge of the Amazon Rainforest. Sibon nebulatus, or the black and white snail-eating snake, was collected from Mont Itoupé at an elevation of about 2,600 feet, according to the study. The snakes are about a foot long from snout to body, with a seven-inch tail, researchers said. Their heads are distinct from the cylindrical shape of their bodies, and their snouts are short and blunt. The snakes earn their name from their coloration pattern, photos show. The snakes are gray with white bellies and covered in thick black bands that extend the length of their bodies. '(The black and white snail-eating snake) is only known from French Guiana, (where it was so far mistaken with S. nebulatus whereas specimens of S. nebulatus (strictly speaking) were considered to belong to a new species) but it is widespread throughout the territory at the exception of the upper Maroni basin and along the coastal strip of savannas where S. nebulatus occurs,' the study explains. Researchers suspect the snake can also be found in the old growth forests of neighboring Surinam, but no records have been made so far. 'Several specimens have been observed feeding on snails in French Guiana,' researchers said. 'One specimen was observed at (5:30 a.m.) perched at about (20 feet) above the ground on a vine of the genus Bauhinia and disappeared in a cavity in the trunk.' Researchers said the existence of a second species was hypothesized for decades, but it wasn't until more recent records and genetic testing was used that the theory could be proven. French Guiana is on the northern coast of South America, north of Brazil and along the Atlantic Ocean. The research team included Antoine Fouquet, Alejandro Arteaga, Átilas R. De Sousa and Robson W. Avila.
Miami Herald
14-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
‘Remarkable' invasive snake capable of reproducing by itself is now in Ecuador
One of the smallest snakes in the world is expanding its global empire by hitching a ride in the root balls of ornamental plants shipped around the world. Now, the unassuming-looking Indotyphlops braminus, or flowerpot blindsnake, has been recorded for the first time ever in Ecuador, according to an April 8 study published in the journal Check List. This is also the first record of the species in any South American country, according to the study. The 'tiny' reptile, often mistaken for an earthworm, is native to Sri Lanka and southern India but 'has spread worldwide through unintentional transport with ornamental plants,' according to researchers. One of its most 'remarkable' adaptations that makes it a highly successful species is its ability to establish an entire population from a single snake, according to the study. The flowerpot blindsnake reproduces through a process called triploid parthenogenesis — a type of reproduction that does not require sperm. It is the only known snake species to reproduce exclusively this way, researchers said. Indotyphlops braminus is described as having 'a tiny body size' that can range in color from jet black to shades of brown and pink, with the characteristic exception of a white chin. Its body is 'covered with hard shiny scales' and, like other snake species, it has a forked tongue, according to the study. The snake uses its pointed tail to 'sting' predators, 'delivering a sharp but harmless prick,' researchers said. It also releases a 'strong musk' as a defense mechanism, according to the study. The flowerpot blind snake lives primarily underground, feeding exclusively on termites and ants, researchers said. Researchers found the snakes in urban areas of Guayas Province including Guayaquil, particularly in gardens with ornamental shrubs. More research is needed to better understand how the flowerpot blindsnake may compete for resources with native threatened species or act as a carrier of harmful pathogens, according to the study. The research team included Eduardo Zavala and Alejandro Arteaga.
