Latest news with #FredKraus
Time of India
2 days 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
Miami Herald
02-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Tick-infested creature bites researcher in Papua New Guinea. It's a new species
On Sudest Island in southern Papua New Guinea, a creature covered in ticks moved across the rainforest floor. Its slithering body, more than a foot long, was snatched up by a research assistant in 2004, according to a study published May 1 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. Then the animal bit down. More than 20 years later, that snake has been identified as a species new to science, according to the study. Fred Kraus, a researcher in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Michigan, was studying snakes in Papua New Guinea when one of his research assistants took the bite to the hand, he wrote in the study. 'His hand swelled to approximately twice its normal size, he was in some pain, and had some joint stiffness' that lasted until the next day, Kraus wrote. 'Bites from this species were viewed locally as of no particular concern.' Despite the interaction, it would be two decades before the species would be described for the first time. The snake belongs to a genus called Aspidomorphus, found in the Papuan islands, according to the study. Their group has been described as 'confusing,' as it's hard to tell different related species apart. 'Among these insular populations, that from Sudest Island was immediately recognized by me as distinct from other populations,' Kraus wrote. 'This population is dramatically distinct in being bimodal for two very distinct color patterns, but both color-pattern morphs were found to be genetically identical.' Kraus named the new species Aspidomorphus dimorphus, from the Greek words meaning 'two forms' to reference the snake's 'unique' color pattern. The snakes range in size from 14 inches to 20 inches, according to the study, and stand out from related species because of their coloration. The orange morph, or color group, is identified by a 'uniformly orange-brown' back with a 'salmon pink' throat, 'bright red iris' and a 'black tongue,' Kraus wrote. About half of the specimens examined for the study belonged to this orange group. The other half are called 'dark morphs' and have 'dark brown' backs with 'charcoal-gray heads' with a much darker eye surrounded by a thin 'red rim,' according to the study. 'Aspidomorphus dimorphus sp. nov. is unique among Papuan snakes in having such a strikingly bimodal color pattern among adults, with differences encompassing not only color but pattern elements too,' Kraus wrote. '... Other Papuan snakes do not show this color-pattern dimorphism.' Notably, the differences are not determined by sex, as Kraus' team found males and females with both color patterns, according to the study. 'The specimens I obtained all came from primary rainforest at elevations ranging from (about 300 to 1200 feet above sea level). Most animals were found active on the forest floor from early to mid-morning, but (one snake) came from a bucket trap placed along a drift fence,' Kraus wrote. Most of the snakes were found with ticks lodged under some of their scales, some with as many as 10 ticks hitching a ride on their bodies, according to the study. The snakes have only been found on Sudest Island, Kraus wrote, but it is possible they may also appear on other smaller islands in the chain. Kraus recently reported the discovery of another new species of snake from the same island in April, McClatchy News reported. Sudest Island is off the southeastern coast of mainland Papua New Guinea and northeast of Australia.
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Science
- USA Today
4-foot reptilian predator spotted 'enveloping' hawk turns out to be new snake species
4-foot reptilian predator spotted 'enveloping' hawk turns out to be new snake species A new species of snake was recently discovered after scientists spotted it taking on a hawk on a Papua New Guinea island. Measuring as long as 4 feet, 8 inches, the Dendrelaphis anthracina, or coal black tree snake, was identified by scientist Fred Kraus while visiting Sudest Island (also called Vanatinai and Tagula Island). 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.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
4-foot reptilian predator spotted 'enveloping' hawk turns out to be new snake species
A new species of snake was recently discovered after scientists spotted it taking on a hawk on a Papua New Guinea island. Measuring as long as 4 feet, 8 inches, the Dendrelaphis anthracina, or coal black tree snake, was identified by scientist Fred Kraus while visiting Sudest Island (also called Vanatinai and Tagula Island). 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. 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. 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. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meet the coal black tree snake, a newly discovered species
Newsweek
23-04-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Scientists Find Shadowy Beast With Large Black Eyes—It's a New Species
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Scientists have discovered a new snake species following an encounter with a large black-eyed creature found moving around a mining site on a small island in Papua New Guinea. The atra tree snake, whose scientific name is Dendrelaphis atra, was found by Fred Kraus, a researcher from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, during his visit to Misima Island in the northwest of the Louisiade Archipelago within the Milne Bay province of Papua New Guinea. Kraus was there as part of a larger project to explore the region's reptile population. During his visit, the researcher came across several "moderately large" snakes, spanning around four feet and one inch in length, with white chins, black eyes and a "matte black" coloring, according to a study in Zootaxa, where the research findings were published this month. A stock image of a common bronzeback tree snake (Dendrelaphis tristis) in India. A stock image of a common bronzeback tree snake (Dendrelaphis tristis) in India. iStock / Getty Images Plus Unlike other related species, atra tree snakes—which are named after the Latin word for black "atra"—darken in color with age, Kraus noted. A smaller, younger snake was found to have a "gray brown" color while older, larger snakes were described to be "uniformly black," the study said. Dendrelaphis atra is among four new snake species that were identified in the region and each one is native to a different island in the Milne Bay province, Kraus said. He said in the study: "Herein I examine the taxonomic status of Dendrelaphis specimens from outlying large islands in Milne Bay Province, off the southeastern tip of New Guinea, and I find that each of the three large islands of the Louisiade Archipelago, as well as Woodlark Island, contain their own endemic species." The three other new snake species were found on Rossel Island, Sudest Island and Woodlark Island. Three of the new snake species (D. anthracina, D. melanarkys and D. roseni) belong to the D. papuensis group, while the fourth one (D. atra) belongs to the D. punctulatus group, the study noted. Papua New Guinea is home to "extraordinary biodiversity, accounting for over 5 percent of the world's total," notes the United Nations Development Programme. The "Milne Bay province has the richest habitat for endemic reptiles and amphibians on the planet," Kraus said. Papua New Guinea is said to have more than 80 known snake species, and its rich wildlife has yet to be fully uncovered. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about snakes? Let us know via science@ Reference Kraus, F. (2025) New species of snakes of the genus Dendrelaphis (Squamata: Colubridae) from the Milne Bay Islands, Papua New Guinea. Zootaxa, 5618(4), 451–480.
