Scientists have discovered a new snake species following an encounter with a large black-eyed creature found moving around a mining site on a small island in Papua New Guinea.
The atra tree snake, whose scientific name is Dendrelaphis atra, was found by Fred Kraus, a researcher from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, during his visit to Misima Island in the northwest of the Louisiade Archipelago within the Milne Bay province of Papua New Guinea. Kraus was there as part of a larger project to explore the region’s reptile population.
During his visit, the researcher came across several “moderately large” snakes, spanning around four feet and one inch in length, with white chins, black eyes and a “matte black” coloring, according to a study in Zootaxa, where the research findings were published this month.
Unlike other related species, atra tree snakes—which …