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Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
Four new snake species discovered in Papua New Guinea's wild islands
Image source: Mongabay Decades of too little sampling and widespread misidentification, particularly in island areas that are far from access to researchers, have posed challenges to the science of herpetology in Papua New Guinea (PNG) since its beginning. But a recent discovery by University of Michigan biologist Fred Kraus is sorting out some of that taxonomic knot while at the same time revealing four undescribed species of tree snakes. According to Zootaxa Kraus's research, this represents an important step in the discovery of PNG's reptilian diversity, particularly for the genus Dendrelaphis, the bronzebacks or tree snakes, as they are locally known. New snakes found in Papua New Guinea The four new snake species are found specifically on individual islands in PNG's Louisiade and Woodlark island groups in Milne Bay Province, which are exemplary of the evolutionary effect of geographical isolation. Dendrelaphis anthracina – On Sudest Island (also known as Vanatinai or Tagula), this species is powerfully jet-black with a white chin. Perhaps most remarkable, Kraus saw it dominating a goshawk with a wingspan measuring more than a meter—a feat remarkable for a tree snake. Dendrelaphis melanarkys – Indigenous to Rossel Island, this species has striking orange eyes and elaborate, net-like scale patterns. Dendrelaphis atra – Found on Misima Island, the atra tree snake darkens as it ages and eventually turns a matte black, rendering it almost invisible in heavy vegetation. Dendrelaphis roseni – The most diminutive of the four, this species lives on Woodlark Island and is named after Clark Rosen, Kraus's deceased friend and respected snake ecologist and conservationist. Papua New Guinea highlights island-driven snake diversity These four species not only widen our knowledge of the Dendrelaphis genus but also point to the wider process of island speciation, whereby geographic distance leads to the evolution of species that are specialized to a particular locale. Kraus utilized a mix of physical characteristics—hemipenial shape—as well as coloration in order to identify and distinguish between these snakes, thereby rectifying several decades of taxonomic ambiguity throughout the region. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tired of High Power Bills? Plug in This Device elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Learn More Undo According to the reports, more than 424 species of reptiles live in Papua New Guinea, with a minimum of 147 species of snakes. The finds of these four new snakes emphasise both the diversity of the region and yet how much is still unrecorded. Papua New Guinea's rare snakes discovered under threat These exciting discoveries are not without concern. Despite only just being named, these species may already face significant threats. Mining interests, widespread deforestation, and other forms of habitat destruction have long targeted islands like Woodlark, with major forest conversion projects proposed multiple times in the past two decades. As Kraus's research lays bare new species, it also sends a tacit message: PNG's biodiversity is not only vast but substantially vulnerable. Conservation initiatives need to intensify in order to prevent newly found species from going extinct before they are fully realized. Also Read | King Cobra vs Rock Python: Know the key difference on the basis of size, venom, speed and more
The Herald Scotland
27-04-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Meet the coal black tree snake, a newly discovered species
In a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa on April 4, Kraus described his trip to four different islands, each of which housed a not-yet-classified species of reptile. He was seeking to study groups of tree-dwelling snakes known as the Dendrelaphis genus, a group Kraus described in his research as "confusing" and "poorly understood." On Sudest, he observed a shiny, large species of snake notable for its jet-black color, black eyes and white chin. While studying the species, which he spotted in ecologically diverse areas on the island from "rainforest to villages and gardens established by humans," Kraus witnessed the snake turn its predator, a hawk, into prey. One of six of the elusive creatures that Kraus managed to track down was found wrapped around a goshawk (a hawk with a wingspan of up to 46 inches) that had apparently tried to attack, rendering it "immobile by the snake's enveloping defensive reaction." So far, the snake, named for the Latin word that roughly means "coal black," has only been found on Sudest Island, though the study notes it could possibly exist on nearby small islands. Three other new snake species identified Kraus also identified new snake species endemic to three other Papua New Guinea islands: Misima Island, Rossel Island and Woodlark Island. On Misima Island, he found more large snakes with white chins, black eyes and black coloring, though these slightly smaller 4-foot, 1-inch reptiles lacked the same lustrous sheen as the coal black tree snakes of Sudest. Named Dendrelaphis atra, or the atra tree snake, after the Latin word for black, these snakes are described as having a "matte black" color that develops in adulthood. Before they reach maturity, says Kraus' study, they sport a more "gray brown" hue. Also found in villages, gardens and rainforest ridges, the species was at first confused with the one found on Sudest before unique elements such as its size, color and scale pattern were studied. Uniquely, atra tree snakes were found in areas heavily developed by humans, such as on a mining site and near buildings. As with the coal black tree snake, the atra tree snake has thus far only been found on its initial island of discovery, Misima. Another new snake species has orange eyes On Rossel Island, Kraus found Dendrelaphis melanarkys, or the black net tree snake. This 4-foot, 11-inch reptile is easier to differentiate thanks to its orange eyes, smooth dark scales with a net-like pattern and dark tongue color. Named after the Greek words for "black" and "net," the species was again found to inhabit both the local rainforest and human-made facilities on the island, including the abandoned site of the former village of Bibikea. The species also has only been found on one island. The Dendrelaphis roseni, or Rosen's tree snake, found on Woodlark Island, is the smallest of the newly discovered species, measuring only about 3 feet, 5 inches. Found only on Woodlark Island, the snake was named after Kraus' "late friend, snake ecologist and conservationist" Clark Rosen, said the study. Like the atra tree snake, Rosen's tree snake is a lighter color in adolescence before developing its black pattern in adulthood. Also like the other species on nearby islands, the Rosen's tree snake is found in the rainforest, villages and gardens tended by humans.
