A lighter-coloured Trimeresurus ayeyarwadyensis, or Ayeyarwady pit viper. - CAS-Myanmar Herpetology Survey team
YANGON: A new snake species has been discovered in southern Myanmar's Ayeyarwady and Yangon regions, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Thursday (Dec 21).
The finding, made by herpetologist Kin Onn Chan and colleagues, has also been published recently in the scientific journal ZooKeys.
During their genomic study performed in Myanmar, the researchers found a distinct species of snake from the Trimeresurus group of snakes, namely the Ayeyarwady pit viper.
In terms of colour pattern, the Ayeyarwady pit viper shares some characteristics with both the mangrove pit viper and the red-tailed pit viper.
However, by comparing these known Trimeresurus species, the researchers confirmed that it is a new species, with green dorsal colouration and no distinct dorsal blotches or dark dorsal blotches.
The new species was named Ayeyarwady pit viper after the Ayeyarwady River, which is the largest and one of the most important rivers in Myanmar.
According to the researchers, the results on the Trimeresurus species provide a useful roadmap for guiding future studies and highlight the need for targeted sampling in the Ayeyarwady Region and Mon State. - Xinhua
