1-foot-long creature with ‘pointed’ teeth found lurking under log. It’s a new species
In a forest of southern India, a 1-foot-long creature with “pointed” teeth hid under a fallen tree. At least, it tried to hide. Visiting scientists rolled away the log and found the lurking animal.
It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers visited several sites in Tamil Nadu and Kerala between 2021 and 2023 to survey wildlife, according to a study published July 9 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. The area was part of a biodiversity hotspot known as the Western Ghats.
During the surveys, researchers encountered several snakes with spotted bellies, the study said.
The snakes didn’t look totally unfamiliar but didn’t quite match any known species either. Looking through the archives, researchers found some similar-looking specimens from the 1950s.
Researchers studied these snakes and analyzed their DNA. The result? They’d discovered a new species: Uropeltis caudomaculata, or the tailspot shieldtail snake.
Tailspot shieldtail snakes can reach about a foot in length, the study said. They have “small” eyes, “pointed” teeth and “smooth” scales.
A photo shows the brownish-yellow coloring of a tailspot shieldtail snake. Its head and tail look relatively similar and are darker brown then the rest of its almost olive green body.
Seen from above, the snake’s coloring is generally uniform. Underneath, its belly has “bright yellow” spots, the study said. A photo shows these sunflower-colored patches.
Researchers said they named the new species after the “yellow spot on each side” of its tail because other species of shieldtail snake usually have a stripe.
Tailspot shieldtail snakes live in forests and near tea plantations between elevations of about 3,000 to 6,400 feet, the study said. Several snakes were found as roadkill. Others were found “during the day under logs.”
So far, the new species has been found at three sites roughly 40 miles apart in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the study said. These neighboring states form the southernmost part of India and are a roughly 1,600-mile drive south from New Delhi.
The new species was identified by its scale pattern, coloring, spots, other subtle physical features and DNA, the study said.
The research team included David Gower, Sandeep Das, V. Deepak, Jason Gerard and Surya Narayanan.
This story was originally published July 10, 2024 at 9:01 AM with the headline "1-foot-long creature with ‘pointed’ teeth found lurking under log. It’s a new species."
