At a Glance
- International scientists have discovered a new snake species, Rhynchocalamus hejazicus, in Saudi Arabia’s Hejaz region, noted for its distinctive black collar, reddish coloration, and melanistic morphotype.
- The species inhabits sandy and stony soils with varied vegetation and human-disturbed areas, suggesting it is not currently threatened according to IUCN criteria.
- R. hejazicus appears to be primarily nocturnal, as evidenced by all observed individuals being active at night.
- Further monitoring and conservation efforts are necessary to understand the species’ ecological dynamics and natural history, highlighting the need for enhanced sampling and monitoring strategies in unexplored areas.
- The discovery emphasizes the region’s biodiversity and the potential for finding more undiscovered species in Saudi Arabia.
A team of international scientists led by researchers from the Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), Portugal, and Charles University, Czech Republic, has unveiled a new snake species, Rhynchocalamus hejazicus, in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia. This small snake species is characterized by a black collar and reddish coloration, setting it apart from its closest relatives. The species’ uniformly black “melanistic morphotype” has also been identified. The discovery of this new species fills a significant portion of the distribution gap for the genus Rhynchocalamus in the Arabian Peninsula, bridging the divide between the Levant and the coastal regions of Yemen and Oman.
R. hejazicus is found in sandy and stony soils with varying vegetation cover, including habitats disturbed by human activities. This suggests the species should not be classified as threatened according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria. Despite its wide distribution, little is known about this species’ natural history and behavior. However, initial observations indicate that it is primarily nocturnal, as all individuals were encountered active at night. The researchers emphasize the need for further monitoring and conservation efforts to understand better the ecological dynamics and natural history of this newly discovered species.
The discovery of R. hejazicus underscores the gap in the documentation of rare and secretive species, emphasizing the need to enhance sampling efforts and monitoring strategies to comprehensively capture species diversity in unexplored areas. The study, published in Zoosystematics and Evolution, was made possible through intense sampling efforts in the central-western regions of Saudi Arabia, supported by the Royal Commission for AlUla, Saudi Arabia, which is actively promoting conservation in the region. This discovery sheds light on the region’s biodiversity and highlights the potential for further findings of undiscovered species in the Kingdom.
References
- Licata, F., Pola, L., Šmíd, J., Ibrahim, A. A., Liz, A. V., Santos, B., Patkó, L., Abdulkareem, A., Gonçalves, D. V., AlShammari, A. M., Busais, S., Egan, D. M., Ramalho, R. M. O., Smithson, J., & Brito, J. C. (2024). The missing piece of the puzzle: A new and widespread species of the genus Rhynchocalamus Günther, 1864 (Squamata, Colubridae) from the Arabian Peninsula. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 100(2), 691–704. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.123441
- Pensoft Publishers. (2024, May 30). The missing puzzle piece: A striking new snake species from the Arabian Peninsula. Phys.Org; Pensoft Publishers. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-puzzle-piece-snake-species-arabian.html
