Five species of previously unknown snakes with stunning eyes were discovered in jungle trees, and one was named after Leonardo DiCaprio. But mining threatens them all.
Slithering among shrubs in the foothill forests of Panama, there is a snake the color of burnt embers, with round eyes like glowing coals. The snake, soon to be named DiCaprio’s snail-eating snake (Sibon irmelindicaprioae), is one of five newfound species living in the jungles of Central and South America. In a new study, researchers described the new species and shed light on how gold and copper mining operations in the region may threaten other stunning snakes.
“These new species of snake are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of new species discoveries in this region,” lead author Alejandro Arteaga(opens in new tab), president and research director at the Khamai Foundation, a conservation-focused nongovernmental organization, said in a statement(opens in new tab). “But if illegal mining continues at this rate, there may not be an opportunity to make any future discoveries.”
S. irmelindicaprioae derives its name from actor and conservationist Leonardo DiCaprio, who asked that the red-eyed snake be named for his mother, Irmelin Indenbirken. DiCaprio’s eponymous snake is about 15 inches (38 centimeters) long, and spends its evenings on palm fronds 10 feet (3 meters) above the ground, foraging for snails and slugs. Docile to a fault, the snake defends itself not by biting but by coiling protectively around its head and emitting a foul odor.