Discovered a new species of green snake in Cao Bang

Russian and Vietnamese scientists have discovered a new species of green snakes belonging to Protobothrops in Trung Khanh Nature Reserve, Cao Bang province.

Chongqing snakes.(Photo: vncreatures.net)

Mr. Nguyen Thien Tao, officer in charge of research on amphibians and reptiles of Vietnam Museum of Nature, Institute of Science and Technology of Vietnam, said that so far, this species has not been found in any Where in the world.

This new snake is named by snake scientists Chongqing (Protobothrops trungkhanhensis Orlov, Ryabov) , which is endemic in Vietnam, only 733mm long, quite small compared to other species of the same Protobothrops. The head is small, triangular, with very small scales that separate the head from the neck.

The snake's nostrils are large and trapezoidal. Rhombus-shaped scales with prominent burrs, pale grayish brown in the back and head. The body and tail have dozens of dark brown streaks. The abdomen is dark gray, black in the near part of the tail, the tail tip has no red streaks.

This is the fourth species of the snake genus Protobothrops recorded in Vietnam in addition to the horned snakes (Protobothrops cornutus), the green snake jerdonii (P.jerdonii) and the snakes (P. mucrosquamatus).