New species of dwarf boa in Ecuador

Olivierlejardinier

Jedi Council Member

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Scientists discover new species of dwarf boa in Ecuadorian Amazon, naming it after Indigenous activist​

January 6, 2023


  • Two specimens of a new species of pygmy boas found in a nature reserve and a private park
  • This species is unusual in having a “rudimentary pelvis”.
  • Gives the number of known Tropidofis species in South America up to six
Up to 20 centimeters long and with skin coloration similar to that of a boa constrictor, a previously unknown snake has been named Tropidophis cacuangoae.
According to the Ministry of the Environment of Ecuador, the second part of the name is dedicated to the early 20th century indigenous rights activist Dolores Cakuango.
Two specimens were found in the Kolonso Chalupa National Reserve and in the Sumac Causai Private Park, the discoverers said.

Snakes are “a relic of the times,” said Ecuadorian researcher Mario Yanes of the National Biodiversity Institute (INABIO).

“These are animals so old that finding or encountering one of them is a privilege.”

The species is unusual in that it has the “rudimentary pelvis” characteristic of primitive snakes, which some consider proof that snakes evolved from lizards that lost limbs over millions of years.

A man holds a small yellowish snake in his hands for a photograph.

Scientist Mario Yanez holds a specimen of a new species of pygmy boa constrictor.(AFP: Rodrigo Buendia)
The group’s findings were published in the European Journal of Taxonomy.

The ministry said the discovery brought the number of known Tropidofis species endemic to South America.


article from here and a link to the above publication in the Journal of Taxonomy.
 
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