PUBLISHED : 2 Oct 2023 at 04:30
A pit viper found in Thale Ban National Park in Satun back in 2016 has now been acknowledged as a new species, said park chief Saengsuree Songthong yesterday.
The snake, which has the scientific name Trimeresurus ciliaris, is locally known as ngu hang mhai khao hin poon, or limestone eyelash pit viper in English.
The first sample of the species was found back in June 2016 by a research team led by Mr Saengsuree, his assistant Nakaen Kawithanatham, and researcher Bunyarit Dechochai. The snake was spotted in lowland dipterocarp forest, resting on limestone rocks.
The discovery was published in the scientific journal Vertebrate Zoology on Sept 19.
The journal described the snake as a small viper, about 40 centimetres long with reddish-brown bands along its body, set on an emerald-green background. The snake has a triangular head with olive-green eyes.
The name “ciliaris” is derived from the Latin word cilium, meaning “eyelash”, a reference to the snake’s characteristically small and distinct supra-ocular scales, which resemble eyelashes or eyebrows in lateral view.
The limestone eyelash pit viper feeds on small lizards and frogs in captivity, but its natural diet remains unknown. Currently, the snake is the only known viper species in the Nakawan Ranges that spans the border of Thailand and Malaysia, which features limestone forests, the article said.