By Robyn White
Nature Reporter
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A new species of venomous snake has been discovered in Australia.
What is now known as the Desert Whip Snake, Demansia cyanochasma, was discovered by DNA researcher James Nankivell at The University of Adelaide and South Australian Museum honorary researcher Mark Hutchinson, along with herpetologists Brad Maryan and Brian Bush,.
This species had been mistaken for a different species for years. But, by studying a collection of tissue samples, researchers determined that the species was actually entirely its own.
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This is because the desert whip snake has many similarities with other desert snakes.
"It's really a successful and widespread animal, it's just that it's taken this long to be able to work out it's actually a distinct species and not the same thing as you see on the west coast or the east coast [of Australia]," Hutchinson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "It's taken the addition of the genetic profiling that (Nankivell) was able to do."
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Wildlife photographer Ross McGibbon posted about the new find on Facebook.
"I targeted this species in 2017 during one of my photography trips after receiving a hot tip that it might one day be described as a new species," he said on the post.
Facebook user Paul Cottier commented on his post: "Absolutely awesome that we are still discovering new species."
While assessing the genetic samples of the snake, scientists found that these desert animals form a gene pool of their own, the museum said in a Facebook post.
When studying the specimens closely, the researchers were able to spot "external differences that are subtle but consistent enough" that they can be determined as a new species.
This species, which grows to around 27 inches long, is venomous, but it is not considered to be a danger to humans.
"They are very slim, that means their head is very small and their fangs are very short for their size," Hutchinson told ABC. "They will certainly bite if you try to pick them up or handle them but there's no records of significant bites coming from these snakes."
A bite would likely result in pain and swelling, but it would not be fatal.
Snakes only tend to lunge and bite a human if they feel directly provoked and threatened. Most species will try to avoid humans, and flee rather than attack.
The whip snake is not the only new discovery made by researchers recently.
In recent months scientists have also discovered four new species of sand dragon lizards in South Australia.
Australia is home to 140 species of land snake. Around 100 of these are venomous, but these would not kill you. There are only 12 that have a fatal bite.
Snakes are more active during the hot weather, which typically runs from September to April in Australia.
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