Scientists discover and classify five new eyelash viper species in Colombia and Ecuador's jungles, four of which are at high risk of extinction due to habitat destruction.

Scientists from the Khamai Foundation have discovered five new species of eyelash vipers in the jungles and cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador. The researchers, who spent a decade studying the snakes, previously classified them as part of a single, highly variable species spanning from Mexico to northwestern Peru. The eyelash vipers stand out due to their distinctive spine-like scales above their eyes, and they are polychromatic, exhibiting a range of color variations. Four of the new species are at high risk of extinction, with 50-80% of their habitat already destroyed.

February 12, 2024
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