2-foot-long creature found lurking near stream in China. It’s a new species
As night settled across southern China, a “slender” 2-foot-long creature moved along the ground near a stream. Its “large” eyes scanned the surrounding foliage, but it wasn’t alone.
Passing scientists noticed the patterned animal — and discovered a new species.
A team of researchers visited several sites in Yunnan province between 2018 and 2023 as part of their ongoing efforts to survey the region’s biodiverse wildlife, according to a study published Oct. 3 in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.
During their nighttime searches, researchers found four vaguely familiar-looking snakes, the study said. At first, they suspected the snakes might be a widespread species. But, when researchers looked closer, they noticed unique features and realized they’d discovered a new species: Hebius shantianfangi, or Shan’s keelback snake.
Shan’s keelback snakes have “slender” bodies reaching up to 2 feet in length, the study said. Their “large” heads have a “narrow” snout, dozens of teeth and “large” “bronze” eyes. Their tails are “relatively long,” and their scales have a slightly rough texture.
Photos show the pattern and coloring of the new species.
Seen from above, the snake’s body is “greyish brown to black” with “light yellow intermixed with light orange spots,” and its head has a “distinct continuous white streak,” researchers said. Seen from below, its belly is pale white.
Shan’s keelback snakes were found “on the ground beside streams at night,” but much about their lifestyle and behavior remains unknown, researchers said.
Generally, keelback snakes are “non-venomous” and “semi-aquatic,” the study said.
Researchers said they named the new species after the late Shan Tianfang, a “renowned Chinese storytelling artist … who devoted his whole life to storytelling and left countless indelible memories for people.”
So far, Shan’s keelback snakes have only been found in two parts of Yunnan province, a region of southern China bordering Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The new species was identified by its coloring, teeth, scale arrangement, body proportions and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least about 7% genetic divergence from related species.
The research team included Shuo Liu, JiShan Wang, Mian Hou, Liang Zhang, Qiaoyan Wang, Chunmiao Zong, Jiang Zhou, Dingqi Rao, Patrick David and Gernot Vogel.
This story was originally published October 6, 2025 at 11:41 AM with the headline "2-foot-long creature found lurking near stream in China. It’s a new species."
