4-foot-long creature with ‘emerald green’ hue found in Bolivia. It’s a new species
In a darkened forest of Bolivia, a 4-foot-long creature with “large” eyes balanced on a tree branch. Its “emerald green” hue likely helped it blend in — but not well enough.
Passing scientists spotted the colorful animal. It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers hiked into the Andes mountains of Cochabamba Department several times between 2020 and 2023 to search for wildlife, according to a study published Oct. 2 in the peer-reviewed journal Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. The region was situated in the Yungas, a known biodiversity hot spot.
During the surveys, researchers encountered several unfamiliar-looking snakes, the study said. They took a closer look at the reptiles and quickly realized they’d discovered a new species: Chironius whipala, or the whipala sipo snake.
Whipala sipo snakes can reach about 4.5 feet in length, the study said. They have “emerald green” bodies with yellow snouts and “large” eyes.
Photos show the bright coloring of the new species, which varies from yellowish-green to almost teal-green.
Whipala sipo snakes live in humid forests between elevations of about 4,100 to 6,500 feet, researchers said. They were usually found at night on plants and trees up to 20 feet off the ground.
Some whipala sipo snakes had traces of frogs in their stomach, the study said. One female snake was found pregnant with seven eggs.
Researchers said they named the new species after the indigenous Aymara word “whipala,” meaning “emblem,” because it is an “emblem of the original people of the Andes of Bolivia.”
So far, whipala sipo snakes have been found in Cochabamba Department and neighboring Santa Cruz Department, the study said. These regions stretch from central Bolivia eastward to the border with Brazil.
The new species was identified by its scale pattern, genitalia, coloring, teeth and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 3% genetic divergence from other related species.
The research team included Oliver Quinteros-Muñoz, Pedro Gómez-Murillo, Teresa Camacho-Badani, Rodrigo Aguayo, Rene Carpio-Real, Edson Pérez, Bladimir Marca, Lucindo Gonzales and Omar Torres-Carvajal.
This story was originally published October 10, 2024 at 10:49 AM with the headline "4-foot-long creature with ‘emerald green’ hue found in Bolivia. It’s a new species."
