Masquerading, deadly snake discovered and named after shape-shifting Chinese goddess
Deadly new Snake According to researchers, who named the snake after the snake goddess, which transforms from Chinese folk tales, it was discovered after spending decades impersonating a low-risk species.
The new species is a type of many-banded krait found in southwestern China and northern Myanmar, previously classified as a many-banded krait (Many-banded snake). However, morphological and genetic differences, as well as particularly painful and deadly bites, were sufficient to classify this reptile as its own species.
Researchers have named the new snake Susen’s Krayt (Bungarus suzhenae) After Bai Suzhen — the traditional snake goddess Chinese mythology.
Relation: Seven shocking snake stories
“It’s very dangerous,” Gernot Vogel, a researcher at the German Herpetological Society of Southeast Asia, told Live Science. “Many-banded krait is so deadly that understanding its species diversity and geographical distribution is essential to save lives.”
Researchers have found that the new classification not only allows communities to identify deadly snakes and avoid potentially deadly interactions, but also allows scientists to treat Susen’s many-banded krait bites. Hope to help develop new antitoxins in the world.
New snake seed
Crate has long been a nightmare for taxonomists. Until recently, Susen’s many-banded krait was one of four different species that were collectively labeled as one species called the many-banded krait. The species are all mostly black and white and look very similar, but Susen’s many-banded krait has a distinct number of bands on its body and is longer than other species.
“Our longest specimen was 135.5 centimeters [4.5 feet] But part of the tail was missing, so it was certainly over 150 cm. [4.9 feet]”Vogel told Live Science by email. [5.9 feet].. “
Other subtle differences, according to Vogel, were found in the male teeth, the color of the underside of the tail, and the shape of the hemipenis (the snake that corresponds to the penis, which is divided into two parts).
But one of the main reasons researchers noticed Susen’s Krate was its bite.Most crats poisonNot all are fatal, and the bite of the many-banded krait is usually painless and has no visual traces. However, a bite from Susen’s Krayt can be painful, leaving dark spots around the bitten area and can be fatal.
Legendary snake
Susen’s Krayt is named after the legend of the White Snake, one of the most famous folk tales in China. In this story, the snake goddess Bai Suzhen takes the form of a human and falls in love with a man, which is forbidden by the gods and she is forever trapped in the tower. Therefore, Bai Suzhen is regarded as a symbol of love and heartfeltness in Chinese mythology.
The story is re-told in many different formats, including the Netflix original series of the same name, but Susen’s Krayt is the first snake named after the transforming snake goddess.
“Black and white banded krait snake [Suzhen’s krait] Is one of the whitest snakes in nature, so we decided to name it after Bai Suzhen, “the researchers say. Said in a statement..
Important discoveries
Susen’s Crate is extremely dangerous due to its deadly poison and the combination of anonymity ever among other Crate snakes in Asia.
Susen’s Crate is believed to be the cause of many high-profile incidents involving herpetologists. More recently, Chinese herpetologist Mian Hou survived being bitten in 2015 after being taken to a hospital.
However, locals are at greatest risk of being bitten. “Many-banded kraits are active at night and often enter the house in search of food,” Vogel said. “If you touch a snake while you sleep, the sleeping person is often bitten.”
Hopefully, classifying the Susen many-banded krait as its own species can raise awareness and speed up the development of treatments.
“Thanks to the proper description and classification of deadly snakes, research into venom, antivenom development, and proper snakebite treatment can proceed faster,” Vogel said.
This study was published online in the journal on April 6th. ZooKeys..
Originally published in Live Science.
Masquerading, deadly snake discovered and named after shape-shifting Chinese goddess Source link Masquerading, deadly snake discovered and named after shape-shifting Chinese goddess
