The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced the discovery of a spectacularly colored snake from a remote area of Tanzania in East Africa. A 7-year-old girl in Tanzania is now the proud namesake of a new snake.
The striking black-and-yellow snake is called Matilda's horned viper. It measures 2.1 feet (60 centimeters) and has horn-like scales above its eyes.
The discovery is described in the December issue of Zootaxa. Authors of the study include: Michele Menegon of Museo delle Scienze of Trento, Italy; Tim Davenport of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Kim Howell of the University of Dar es Salaam.
The authors are keeping the exact location of the new species a secret, since the snake could be of interest to the illegal pet collectors. Its habitat, estimated at only a few square miles is already severely degraded from logging and charcoal manufacture. The authors expect the species will be classified as critically endangered and have already established a small captive breeding colony.
The snake is named after the daughter of co-author Tim Davenport, Director of WCS's Tanzania Program. For more information about the snake, go to:http://www.atherismatildae.org/
The striking black-and-yellow snake is called Matilda's horned viper. It measures 2.1 feet (60 centimeters) and has horn-like scales above its eyes.
WCS and the Museo delle Scienze of Trento, Italy discover a spectacularly colored new snake. Named Matilda’s horned viper, the snake is restricted to remote forest in southwest Tanzania.
Credit: © Tim Davenport/WCS
The discovery is described in the December issue of Zootaxa. Authors of the study include: Michele Menegon of Museo delle Scienze of Trento, Italy; Tim Davenport of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Kim Howell of the University of Dar es Salaam.
Tim Davenport, Director of WCS’s Tanzania Program, named the recently discovered and spectacularly colored viper from a remote area of the East African country for his little girl. The striking black-and-yellow snake is called Matilda’s horned viper. It measures 2.1 feet and has horn-like scales above its eyes.
The authors are keeping the exact location of the new species a secret, since the snake could be of interest to the illegal pet collectors. Its habitat, estimated at only a few square miles is already severely degraded from logging and charcoal manufacture. The authors expect the species will be classified as critically endangered and have already established a small captive breeding colony.
The snake is named after the daughter of co-author Tim Davenport, Director of WCS's Tanzania Program. For more information about the snake, go to:http://www.atherismatildae.org/
During recent biological surveys in southern Tanzania by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Museo delle Scienze of Trento, a remarkable new species of bush viper has been discovered. It resembles the Usambara bush viper (Atheris ceratophora) but is considerably larger, differs in scalation and has a genetic divergence of the mitochondrial gene of 3.18% and an estimated divergence time of about 2.2 million years. It has been named Matilda’s Horned Viper (Atheris matildae).
Matilda’s Horned Viper is known just from a remote montane forest fragment in Tanzania’s South West. The site probably represents the remnant of a wider forested landscape, interspersed with plateau grasslands and possibly naturally isolated from other forest blocks. It is therefore probable that the viper is a highly range-restricted forest species. We have estimated an extent of occurrence considerably smaller than 100 km2 and a quality of habitat in continuing decline. According to IUCN guidelines (IUCN, 2010) therefore, it should be listed as ‘critically endangered’ CR-B1b(i,ii,iii).
Matilda’s Horned Viper is known just from a remote montane forest fragment in Tanzania’s South West. The site probably represents the remnant of a wider forested landscape, interspersed with plateau grasslands and possibly naturally isolated from other forest blocks. It is therefore probable that the viper is a highly range-restricted forest species. We have estimated an extent of occurrence considerably smaller than 100 km2 and a quality of habitat in continuing decline. According to IUCN guidelines (IUCN, 2010) therefore, it should be listed as ‘critically endangered’ CR-B1b(i,ii,iii).
The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes toward nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth. Visit: www.wcs.org
Contacts and sources:
Stephen Sautner
Wildlife Conservation Society
Contacts and sources:
Stephen Sautner
Wildlife Conservation Society
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