A new species of snakes is found in Laos

Vietnamese and international scientists have discovered and published a new snake species for science in Romania's North-Western Journal of Zoology (No. 8, Episode 2, 2012).

Defective snake da-vid Lycodon davidi. (Photo of Nguyen Quang Truong)

The only specimen of this species was collected in the limestone area of ​​Vang Vieng district, Vientiane province, about 80km from the Lao capital Vientiane.

Dr. Nguyen Quang Truong, Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) said on November 14.

The new snake is named Lycodon davidi Videl, Vycel, Nguyen, Kingsada & Ziegler, 2012. The discovery of this new snake is one of the results of research cooperation on biodiversity between the University. Laos, Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (Vietnam) and Cologne Zoo (Germany).

According to the original description, the davidi lycodon skin-vid snake has 308 mm long head and body; long tail more than 80 mm; There are 17 scales around the middle of the body, dorsal scales with burrs; 224 abdominal scales; 99 scales under the tail; 8 upper lip scales in which scales 3 to 5 eye contact; dark brown body with 84 light brown bars; There are many dark spots on the lower abdomen.

'The snake-vid snake belongs to the water snake family, has no venom, lives near the karst caves in evergreen forest. This is the 5th species of snakes recorded in Laos , 'Truong said.

Previously, French, Vietnamese, Chinese and German scientists have also discovered and published a new species of snakes called Oligodon nagao David, Nguyen, Nguyen, Jiang, Chen, Teynié & Zigler, 2012 in the journal. Zootaxa No. 3498 (September 2012) is based on samples collected in China, Vietnam and Laos.