‘Highly venomous’ mountain creature found lurking in Thailand. It’s a new species
On a mountain in Thailand, a “highly venomous” creature moved through the darkened forest. The 3-foot-long creature had brightly colored stripes that usually served as a warning for anyone who dared approach it — but that warning failed.
Scientists managed to capture the venomous animal and discovered it was a new species.
Researchers ventured into Khao Krachom mountain on several wildlife surveys in 2022, according to a study published Jan. 30 in the peer-reviewed journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.
Searching the forest, researchers encountered several black-and-white striped snakes, the study said. Taking a closer look at the animals, researchers realized they’d discovered a new species: Bungarus sagittatus, or the barbed arrow krait.
Kraits “are a group of highly venomous snakes” found primarily in Asia, the study said.
Barbed arrow kraits can reach about 3 feet in length, the study said. They have “smooth” scales, “small” eyes and a “relatively long” tail.
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Photos show the barbed arrow krait. From above, these snakes have black bodies covered with dozens of white bands, giving them a striped appearance.
From below, these snakes have “immaculate white” bellies except for a row of “triangular patches” at the tip of their tails, the study said. A photo shows the underside of the krait.
Researchers said they named the new species after these triangles, which resemble a “barbed arrow.”
Barbed arrow kraits were most commonly found at night and live in mountainous forests between elevations of about 2,700 and about 3,400 feet, the study said. One snake was seen eating a lizard.
The venom of the new species has not been studied in-depth, but researchers noted that “this data is needed for snake bite management and development of effective antivenom.”
So far, the new species has only been found on Khao Krachom mountain, the study said.
Khao Krachom, sometimes spelled Khao Krajom, is in Ratchaburi province, about 90 miles southwest of Bangkok and near the Thailand-Myanmar border.
The new species was identified by its scale shape and pattern, coloring and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species has at least 8% genetic divergence from other kraits.
The research team included Akrachai Aksornneam, Attapol Rujirawan, Siriporn Yodthong, Yik-Hei Sung and Anchalee Aowphol.
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