Posted on 01/16/2016 6:24:13 PM PST by presidio9
A breed of sea snake thought to be extinct for years was recently discovered off the west coast of Australia, another in a string of similar findings among species scientists believed were lost forever.
It was the first time the species of snakes was seen in more than 15 years since disappearing from the Timor Sea, according to researchers at Australia's James Cook University who identified the snakes.
The discovery of the Short Nose sea snake was confirmed after an Australia Parks and Wildlife officer sent a photo to researchers for identification, the university said.
The study's lead author, Blanche D'Anastasi, of the university's ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, said the findings would give scientists a second opportunity to protect the species.
"But in order to succeed in protecting them we will need to monitor populations as well as undertake research into understanding their biology and the threats they face," D'Anastasi said in a statement.
D'Anastasi noted that the pair of snakes was believed to be "courting," indicating that there is a breeding population and offering a hope for a more sustainable comeback.
"We were blown away," D'Anastasi said. "These potentially extinct snakes were there in plain sight living on one of Australiaâs natural icons, Ningaloo Reef."
A second breed of extremely rare Leaf Scaled sea snake was also recently found in Australia's Shark Bay, several hundred miles away from the species normal territory, which DâAnastasi called a "real surprise."
Both species had vanished from the Timor Sea, though in recent years scientists had seen examples of dead specimens.
The sightings are significant because it increases the known geographic range and habitats for the snakes, though their disappearance in the Timor Sea could not be explained, according to the study.
They also follow a trend of -SNIP-
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
I've read earlier today that one of snakes just spotted on the coast down there is a slippery nasty disease ridden snake with a head that resembles hillary clinton with stubby fangs and with a herpes type venom!
Scientists believe a lot of things.
That’s why I believe them about as much as I believe Ted Cruz.
Hopefully none of those birds are pink famingos -those terrifying creatures have been known to pick a T-Rex carcass clean in a matter of minutes.
ROFLOL!
Really is a shame about those.
The dodo bird definitely isn’t coming back.
If you want them to stay extinct, ya gotta do it right. ;') Thanks presidio9.
Ah, the dreaded HildaBeast. Many have fallen victim to it, typically by one or two shotgun blasts to the head which the same investigators always call suicide by they way they drag themselves to the nearest railroad tracks.
You do remember global warming right?
A whole lot of scientists climbed on board that cosmic wet dream.
I don’t consider those political activists “scientists”.
Oh.
I thought from the headline — this would be about Bernie Sanders.
The Javelin Sand Boa can be added to the list, too, too.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/12076680/Scientists-in-Italy-rediscover-snake-that-was-used-by-ancient-Greeks-as-a-weapon-of-war.html
True.
Still waitin on a thylacine...
Coincidentally, Shark Bay is also the home of the oldest confirmed fossilized evidence of life on earth: Stromatolites that lived 3.5 billion years ago.
this would be about Bernie Sanders.
Wow, those flamingos have stripped that poor T-Rex right down to the bone! Who knew they were carnivorous...
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