The world’s newest snake is a fierce looking fellow.  He has Black and yellow scales devil horns.  Matilda’s Horned Viper made its debut today in an issue of Zootaxa.  It is the newest species of snake and the first one discovered in years.

Tim Davenport is the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Tanzania and was on the team that discovered the snake.  It carries his daughter’s name.

Davenport told the Associated Press,

“My daughter, who was 5 at the time, became fascinated by it and used to love spending time watching it and helping us look after it.  We called it Matilda’s Viper at that stage … and then the name stuck.”

Matilda’s horned viper is only one of three new vipers found in the world in the last thirty years.  This is a significant discovery because they are so rare.  They are keeping the discovery site secret so trophy hunters will not know where to hunt the snake.

Twelve of the snakes live in captivity.  It is next to impossible to even estimate how many of them live in the wild.

Davenport makes it a point to explain to people that even the venomous snakes are not really harmful because they are not very aggressive.

Davenport said,

“This particular animal looks fierce and probably is venomous (though bush viper bites are not fatal). However, it is actually very calm animal and not at all aggressive. I have handled one on a number of occasions.”

The Wildlife Conservation Society runs the Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo in New York.  Davenport speculated that it either place would be a great place to showcase the viper.

New Venomous Viper Species Found in Tanzania is a post from: The Inquisitr

A group of 31 scientists that recently conducted a 42-day expedition in Luzon discovered 300 new land and marine species, a few of which include a worm-like pipefish and an inflatable shark – nicknamed for it’s ability to puff it self up by pumping water into its stomach in the face of danger.

A report on LiveScience.com said the team found dozens of new insects and spiders, more than 50 colorful new sea slugs, and a number of deep-sea corals that protect themselves from nibbling fish by growing large, spiky plates. Other notable new species include a cicada that makes a “laughing call” and a crab equipped with pincers lined with needle-like teeth.

“We saw at least 30 new species of barnacles; more than 50 new species of nudibranchs (sea slugs); 45 sea urchins and sand dollars, six of which have never been recorded in the Philippines, one or two probably new; one new species of eel; and one new pipe fish,” reported Terrence Gosliner, the CAS dean of Science and Research Collections and leader of the expedition’s shallow water team.

The scientists will present their preliminary results tomorrow, June 30, during the California Academy of Sciences’ weekly NightLife event.

“We are hoping the findings will result in recommendations that will translate into policies that will produce a more sustainable future for Filipinos while simultaneously protecting the unique biodiversity.”

via Livescience

Inflatable Shark, Laughing Cicada: New Species Discovered in Philippines is a post from: The Inquisitr

(Note: Click on any of the images throughout the story to enlarge them. Hover your mouse over the images to see the species’ name.)

Heteropoda Maxima: The Huntsman Spider

Among the finds is a spider called the Heteropoda Maxima — a creature the size of a dinner plate. The Heteropoda Maxima is considered a huntsman spider. When its legs are fully extended, the spider is a full 11.8 inches long, making it one of the largest ever documented worldwide. In all, 88 new species of spiders were found in the Greater Mekong.

Desmoxytes Purpurosea: The Dragon Millipede

Another standout species from the exploration is the Desmoxytes purpurosea, or dragon millipede. The thing is bright pink and lined with poison-producing glands. The striking color, scientists believe, serves as a warning to potential predators to stay away.

Annamite Striped Rabbit and Laotian Rock Rat

Other discoveries include the Annamite Striped Rabbit, or Nesolagus timminsi — only the second such species to ever be seen — and the Laotian rock rat, previously believed to have been extinct for 11 million years. In all, 1,068 new species were observed.

Laotian Rock Rat Video

Greater Concern For Greater Mekong

The finds are more than just curiosities. The WWF is using its report to raise awareness of the need to save the land, calling it a “major global hotspot for biodiversity, a treasure.”

“Scientists keep peeling back the layers and uncovering more and more wildlife wonders,” says Dekila Chungyalpa, director of the WWF’s Greater Mekong Program.

The group fears an ongoing industrial movement in the region will lead to new construction and thus resulting destruction of the species. Years of war had kept scientists from exploring the region for years. Now, the WWF wants to form a cross-border agreement with governments in the Greater Mekong region to protect the newly discovered species, as well as other rare animals in the area.

In all, the WWF found 519 plants, 279 fish, 88 frogs, 88 spiders, 46 lizards, 22 snakes, 15 mammals, four birds, four turtles, two salamanders and a toad.

“This region is like what I read about as a child in the stories of Charles Darwin,” says Cologne Zoo Curator Dr Thomas Ziegler. “It is a great feeling being in an unexplored area and to document its biodiversity for the first time … both enigmatic and beautiful.”

More Photos

More Greater Mekong Video

All images and video courtesy World Wildlife Foundation.

PHOTO GALLERY: More Than 1,000 New Species Discovered In Greater Mekong is a post from: The Inquisitr