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New boa constrictor species found on remote island in Bahamas

Uninhabited island

The Silver boa, the official name is Chilabothrus argentum, was confirmed a new species after an expedition to the uninhabited Conception Island, part of a body of small islands and islets called Conception Island Bank.

Silver is in the name in part because the metre long snake has a silver, metallic hue and because the first silver boa sighted was climbing a silver palm tree. About 20 have been found and researchers have examined tissue samples and genetically confirmed it is a new species to humans.

Before being released back to their natural habitat some had a chip placed upon them for tracking purposes. Researchers intend to continue researching the silver boa.

A report from the research team sponsored from Harvard, noted the unique encounter they had with one of the silver boas. One of them came upon lead researcher, Dr. Graham Reynolds of the Univ. of North Carolina at Asheville, by visiting his head.

“As Dr Reynolds slept, a boa crawled down from the forest, across the beach, and directly onto his head,” the report said. “This caused him to awake with a start, and upon realizing what had happened, he awoke the others.”
New species

The discovery of a new species of boa constrictor, which wraps itself around prey to suffocate them to death, is a rare event. A world expert of boas, Robert Henderson, a curator at the Milwaukee Museum of Natural History, praised the work of Dr. Reynolds and his team.

“Worldwide new species of frogs and lizards are being discovered and described with some regularity,” Henderson points out. “New species of snakes, however, are much rarer.

“Graham Reynolds and his co-authors have not only discovered and described a new species of snake,” he continued. “But even more remarkable, a new species of boa.”

Birds, frogs and rats make up the staple diet of the silver boa. The report on the newly-discovered creature was published in the journal Breviora.

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