A new species of snake was discovered in the southern Yunnan Province in China when the 2-foot-long reptile moved in a tree and caught the eye of visiting scientists.
The new species is named Pareas guanyinshanensis, also known as the Guanyinshan slug-eating snake. The snakes have elongated bodies; wide, blunt snouts; and a "yellowish red or yellowish brown" color on the head, with a pinkish yellow color on the belly and tail, according to a study about the discovery that was published in the Animals open-access journal over the weekend.
The species belongs to a "group of highly specialized snakes that only feed on snails or slugs," the study said.
"This special habit also gives them a significant advantage in the niche, so that they occupied a vast area from Sundaland to northeastern India and southern China and evolved into a large number of different species."
Newsweek reached out to the study authors by email for comment.
Scientists were conducting field research for a four-year period beginning in 2019. They planned to collect specimens that resembled Parea hamptoni, another type of slug-eating snake. However, researchers soon learned that the snake they collected was a new species.
The snakes were caught by hand at night, according to the study.
"All specimens of the new species were found on small branches or on the ground beside a stream at night, with forest and farmland nearby," the study said.
A photo of the snake that was included in the study shows that it has a brown coloring with black stripes.
Study authors said the snake's name is derived from the Guanyinshan Provincial Nature Reserve, which is where the snake was found. It is the only known habitat for the snake.
Hundreds of new species are discovered each year. Another new species of snake was recently discovered lurking in the cloud forests of Ecuador, Newsweek reported last week. The Ecuador snake is a type of coffee snake, and has been named the Tudor's Coffee Snake, or Ninia guytudori, in honor of naturalist and scientific illustrator Guy Tudor.
In December, scientists discovered six new spider species, one of which was found at a power plant in Brazil. All six of the new species are considered "ghost spiders," which are part of the Otoniela genus. Before the discovery, only two species existed in the genus—Otoniela adisi in Peru and Brazil, and Otoniela quadrivittata in Venezuela and Argentina.
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