Discovered green snakes with 'ruby' eyes in Vietnam

National Geographic Magazine (USA) on March 28 reported that scientists have announced the discovery of the green snake with ruby ​​eyes (red jade), which has the scientific name Cryptelytrops rubeus in Southeast Asia.

This snake lives in forests near Ho Chi Minh City and low hills in southern Vietnam.

Green snake with ruby ​​eyes Cryptelytrops rubeus - Photo: Jeremy Holden / National
Geographic

Scientists collected samples of Cryptelytrops rubeus snakes from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia during 1999-2003 and studied it in the laboratory using methods of body characteristics and genetics. to verify this new snake.

' We know the Cryptelytrops rubeus species from just a few samples collected, very few people in the world see it ' - Dr. Anita Malhotra, molecular ecologist, co-author of this snake study, works at Bangor University (United Kingdom) - speak on National Geographic.

Malhotra and her colleagues also discovered the second new green snake species of the snake genus Cryptelytrops, scientific name Cryptelytrops cardamomensis, living in the Cardamom mountain range in southeast Thailand and southwestern Cambodia. Cryptelytrops cardamomensis have yellow eyes, while Cryptelytrops rubeus has ruby ​​eyes.

Both new snake species are described in Zootaxa magazine on January 23, 2011.

This 'oversized' frog compared to the mouth of the Cryptelytrops rubeus snake, or simply solid may have been disturbed by the camera's flash light immediately after the scientist took it; And that's the reason frogs escape, snakes 'have to miss appointment' for lunch! - Photo: Jeremy Holden / National Geographic

A ruby-eyed snake is hiding among Vietnam's rainforest vegetation, the photo was taken in May 2000 - Photo: Peter Paul van Dijk / National Geographic

A Cryptelytrops rubeus snake is on the alert head in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam
Male (photo taken in May 2000) - Photo: Peter Paul van Dijk / National Geographic

" We don't have much information about the prey that the favorite Cryptelytrops rubeus snaps" - Ms. Bangor said - "The snake digests well the food, the rest of the feces only has some indigestion, such as mammals or scales and reptiles, for frogs it does not leave any body parts behind . ' According to scientists, the Cryptelytrops rubeus snakes often appear near streams, so they assume frogs are their favorite food.

Cat Tien National Park is considered a stronghold for this new snake species to grow, but it now lives only in a narrow area of ​​the forest. Ms. Bangor said that the new snake Cryptelytrops rubeus is a beautiful snake so it can be ' very vulnerable ' to become a victim of rare animal traffickers, but she does not expect this to happen. . It is not known whether this new snake can survive in another habitat - according to Ms Bangor - it should be classified as a ' endangered ' species in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).