The ink has not yet dried on a scientific paper describing a new species of snake, yet the reptile may already be in danger of extinction due to mining.
A team of biologists led by The University of Queensland’s Associate Professor Bryan Fry discovered a new species of bandy-bandy snake at Weipa on the west coast of the Cape York Peninsula.
Professor Fry said the chance discovery occurred when the team was undertaking sea snake research.
“Bandy-bandy is a burrowing snake, so Freek Vonk from the Naturalis Museum and I were surprised to find it on a concrete block by the sea,” Professor Fry said.
“We later discovered that the snake had slithered over from a pile of bauxite rubble waiting to be loaded onto a ship.
“On examination by my student, Chantelle Derez, the bandy-bandy turned out to be a new species, visually and genetically distinct from those found on the Australian East coast and parts of the interior.”
Read more at University of Queensland
Image: This is the newly discovered bandy bandy snake. (Credit: Bryan Fry)