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A team of scientists, led by researchers from the Khamai Foundation, have recently discovered five new species of eyelash vipers in the jungles and cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador. This groundbreaking discovery was published in the open-access journal Evolutionary Systematics.
Prior to this study, these charming vipers were mistakenly classified as a single, highly variable species spanning from Mexico to northwestern Peru. The decade-long research began with an unexpected incident where one of the authors was bitten by one of these previously undiscovered species.
Eyelash vipers are known for their distinctive feature: a set of enlarged spine-like scales above their eyes, giving them a fierce appearance. However, the true purpose of this feature is still unknown. What is certain is that certain populations have longer and more stylized eyelashes than others. These differences in eyelash length led researchers to hypothesize the existence of undiscovered species.
Eyelash vipers are also known for their polychromatic nature. The same patch of rainforest may contain individuals of the turquoise morph, the moss morph, or the gold morph, all belonging to the same species but with completely different appearances. “No two individuals have the same coloration, even those belonging to the same litter (yes, they give birth to live young),” says Alejandro Arteaga, the lead researcher of the study.
For some of the species, there is a “Christmas” morph, a ghost morph, and even a purple morph, with the different varieties often coexisting and breeding with each other. The reason behind these incredible color variations is still unknown, but it likely allows the vipers to occupy a range of ambush perches, from mossy branches to bright yellow heliconias.
Where do these new snakes live?
Three of the five new species are endemic to the eastern Cordillera of Colombia, where they inhabit cloud forests and occasional plantations. One, the Rahim’s Eyelash-Pitviper, stands out for occurring in the remote and pristine Chocó rainforest on the border between Colombia and Ecuador, an area considered “difficult to visit” due to the presence of drug cartels. The Hussain’s Eyelash-Pitviper occurs in the forests of southwestern Ecuador and extreme northwestern Peru. The researchers emphasize the importance of conservation and research in the Andes mountain range and its valleys due to its biogeographic significance and undiscovered megadiversity.