The team of scientists discovered a new species of snake from the genus Gonyosoma snake known as the rhinoceros snake. This rare snake is unique, because it is similar to a rhinoceros which has horns, this snake also has a sharp protruding part like a horn on its head.
The new species is a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae (commonly known as colubrids) found on Hainan Island. Quoted from National Geographic, this newly identified species is named Gonyosoma hainanense after the genus name and where it was found.
Reports of the discovery of rhinoceros snakes are in a report entitled "A new snake species of the genus Gonyosoma Wagler, 1828 (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Hainan Island, China" in the scientific journal Zoological Research.
In their report, researchers write that this genus comprises nearly 10 scientifically recognized endemic species of South Asia. Gonyosoma hainanense inhabits the subtropical rainforest of Hainan Island in Hainan Province, China.
"Hainan Island is located in South China, facing the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong, crossing the Qiongzhou Strait in the north, Guangxi and Vietnam across Beibuwan Bay in the west, and the South China Sea in the south," said study lead author Li-Fang Peng, researcher from Anhui Normal University and Huangshan Noah Biodiversity Institute.
"It is the second largest island in China, covering an area of more than 30 thousand square km, and hosting many endemic species," he said.
Species origin
The new species of the genus Gonyosoma Wagler, 1828 was described by the authors based on six specimens from the Diaoluoshan Mountains, Hainan Island, Hainan Province, China. The new species Gonyosoma hainanense sp. nov., most closely resembles its continental sister species, Gonyosoma boulengeri.
"Six specimens of the new species were obtained from the Diaoluoshan Mountains, and one juvenile and one female with six neonates were observed and released in the Jianfengling Mountains. These two distribution sites are approximately 200 km apart, and cover most of the southern part of Hainan Island," they wrote.
But Gonyosoma hainanense sp. november can be distinguished from G. boulengeri by two significant morphological characters. The black orbital line is absent in adults, it is found in G. boulengeri.
The new species is also genetically distinct and forms a unique taxonomic clade or group from its sister species and all other relatives based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequence.
"Thus, we believe this new species is most likely distributed in other mountainous areas of Hainan Island," they said.
Gonyosoma hainanense is most similar to its continental sister species, Gonyosoma boulengeri. Both species have a scaly protrusion on the front, different from their other relatives.
"Gonyasoma boulengeri was first described in 1897 based on six specimens from the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam," the researchers said.
" Its common name, rhinoceros snake, comes from the distinctive scaly protrusion on the tip of its head. In the adult species, the body is green and the belly is yellowish-green. In contrast, the color pattern of neonates and juveniles is gray, but gradually changes to green as adults ,” detailed the researchers.
Previously, the rhinoceros snake was considered to be a single species, namely Gonyosoma boulengeri, and was reported from the Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Yunnan provinces in China, as well as Vietnam.
Gonyosoma hainanense has a length between 65-93 cm. This species has a triangular head and large eyes with round pupils.
This snake also has a distinctive, scaly protrusion on the front of its muzzle, which is about 1 cm long. Gonyosoma hainanense is generally arboreal and nocturnal. In addition, this animal is oviparous with the size of six eggs (white) and an incubation period of 62 days.
"Neonates and juveniles are grey, with black orbital stripes. The skin color gradually turns green as the snake matures, and the black orbital stripes gradually fade," the researchers said.