The new krait species Bungarus suzhenae, also known as Suzhen's krait. (Image credit: Dr Li Ding)
Posted on 04/08/2021 9:43:55 AM PDT by Red Badger
The new species was once believed to be another, much less deadly snake.
A deadly new snake has been discovered after spending decades masquerading as a much less dangerous species, according to researchers — who named the snake after a shape-shifting serpent goddess from a Chinese folktale.
The new species is a type of krait snake found in Southwest China and northern Myanmar and had previously been categorized as the many-banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus). However, morphological and genetic differences, as well as a particularly painful and deadly bite, were enough to classify this reptile as its own species.
The researchers named the new snake Suzhen's krait (Bungarus suzhenae) after Bai Su Zhen — a powerful snake goddess from a traditional Chinese myth.
"It is very dangerous," study researcher Gernot Vogel, of the Society for Southeast Asian Herpetology in Germany, told Live Science. "Because kraits are highly lethal, understanding their species diversity and geographic distribution is vital for saving human lives."
Researchers hope the new classification will enable local communities to identify the deadly snake and avoid potentially fatal interactions, as well as help scientists to develop a new antivenom to treat Suzhen's krait bites.
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
The new krait species Bungarus suzhenae, also known as Suzhen's krait. (Image credit: Dr Li Ding)
Another Chinese mutation. Lovely.
Some things from China actually work!
Kind of an ordinary-looking snakey, but that typical for kraits.
The mutation was very strange. Most venomous snakes bite and deliver a nerve agent as poison. This one delivers COVID-19 virus, which leads us to believe this is an engineered snake.
Smile emoji snake. Intentionally bred in fact.
I really hate kraits.
I must have killed several hundred when I was in Vietnam.
If you shined a light on the asphalt outside our barracks at night, there would be a snake every couple of feet over every square inch of the asphalt.
“hemipenes”
Well, I’ve learned a new word.
Do you know “cloaca”?
>>after spending decades masquerading as a much less dangerous species
transpecies
They are High Performance MOPAR Snakes...................
Off to the Wuhan lab with this one. We can use this puppy.
[[[>after spending decades masquerading as a much less dangerous species]]]
The snake is a liar!
Since snakes are cold-blooded, they are attracted to warm areas, like asphalt. Around here, we have Copperheads sunning themselves by streams, on sun-warmed rocks.
Or maybe the harmless snake tries to front as a more dangerous variety to ward off potential predators.
Certainly that is the case with some insects and things.
Friend of yours?
bungeranus? what sort of a name is that for a deadly family of snake?
This is now my most favorite snake joke ever.
Gay snakes...................
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