‘Cryptic’ pregnant creature found hiding on mountain in Angola. It’s a new species
On a mountain in Angola, a pregnant creature maneuvered through the leaves. Its remote home and camouflaged coloring likely helped it go undetected — until now.
Visiting scientists spotted the “cryptic” animal. It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers hiked up the Serra da Neve mountain in southern Africa in fall 2022 to survey wildlife, according to a study published July 24 in the peer-reviewed journal Evolutionary Systematics. The isolated mountain is a “treasure trove” of biodiversity.
During their visits, researchers found seven “coppery” lizards, the study said. At first, the team identified the reptiles as a known species but, after taking a closer look, realized they’d discovered a “cryptic” new species: Panaspis ericae, or Erica’s snake-eyed skink.
Erica’s snake-eyed skinks are considered “typical” in size, reaching about 3 inches in length, the study said. They have “long” tails, “robust” bodies and a “coppery-brown” coloring.
Photos show the color variation of Erica’s snake-eyed skinks. One lizard has a pumpkin orange body while another looks bronze-brown. Both have a darker colored stripe running down their sides and appear to blend in with the surrounding leaves.
Erica’s snake-eyed skinks were found hiding under the leaves in the “lowlands” and “highlands” of the mountain, the study said. Two lizards were found pregnant.
Researchers said they named the new species after Erica Tavares, “an Angolan biologist and conservationist” who helped found an “environmental platform ‘Eco Angola.’” Tavares “revolutionized the Angolan conservation and ecological discourse, providing opportunities for members of the Angolan civil society, students, and young researchers to learn, debate and contribute to environmental causes.”
So far, Erica’s snake-eyed skinks have only been found on the Serra da Neve mountain, the second-highest peak in Angola, the study said.
Angola borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Zambia to the east and Namibia to the south.
The new species was identified by its scale pattern and eyes, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 5% genetic divergence from other related skinks.
The research team included Mariana Marques, Diogo Parrinha, Manuel Lopes-Lima, Arthur Tiutenko, Aaron Bauer and Luis Ceríaco. The team also discovered another new species of skink: the Serra da Neve snake-eyed skink.
This story was originally published July 24, 2024 at 9:28 AM with the headline "‘Cryptic’ pregnant creature found hiding on mountain in Angola. It’s a new species."
