Creatures - A new type of snake has been uncovered on the Arabian Peninsula.
Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown snake species in the Arabian Peninsula. This red-bodied creature with a black collar, roughly 30cm in length, was found by a team led by Fulvio Licata from the University of Porto, in the Hejaz area of western Saudi Arabia, near the Red Sea. They also observed a completely black individual of the same species. The scholars published their findings in the journal "Zoosystematics and Evolution".
This species is thought to be primarily active during the night, and prefers sandy and rocky habitats. The snake resides in areas where humans have settled as well.
"Finding a new snake species in the central-western parts of Saudi Arabia is unexpected and gives rise to the possibility that there could be several more undiscovered species in the country," says the team. The majority of the sightings took place near the oasis of Al-ʿUla in the northwest of the nation.
Read also:
The discovery of this new snake species on the Arabian Peninsula adds to the rich biodiversity of animals in Saudi Arabia, specifically in the Hejaz area. This finding also highlights the significance of scientific research in uncovering new snake species, like the natterjack toad in Europe, in various regions of the world. Furthermore, the existence of this rare snake species suggests that further undiscovered species may reside in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in areas where humans have settled, such as Al-ʿUla.
