Caitlin Stier, contributor
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| (Image: Jeremy Holden) |
Locked in what appears to be an embrace, this ruby-eyed green pit viper (Cryptelytrops rubeus) is lunging for its next meal: a hapless tree frog.
Rarely observed, the snake is native to the forests of Cambodia and southern Vietnam. Despite its striking appearance – blood-red eyes with emerald coils – rubeus was not previously categorised as a distinct species because of the similarities to its yellow-eyed cousin, the large-eyed green pit viper (Cryptelytrops macrops).
Now, with the help of a genetic study, Anita Malhotra of Bangor University, UK and colleagues have identified rubeus as a unique species.
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