Biologists have found 5 new species of snakes and Leonardo DiCaprio named one after his mother that produces a “musky and disgusting smell”.

Sibon Canopy is named in honor of the Canopy Family’s reserve system, specifically its Canopy Lodge in Valle de Antón, Coclé Province, Panama. Alejandro Arteaga

• Scientists have discovered five new species of colorful snakes in the jungles of Panama.

• One of the snakes was named by actor Leonardo DiCaprio in honor of his mother, Irmelin Indenbirken.

• The snakes are threatened by mining operations in the country, scientists noted.

Two biologists have discovered five new species of snail-eating snakes, native to Colombia, Ecuador and Panama — and one is named after actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio and his mother.

Biologists Alejandro Arteaga and Abel Batista began collecting samples from the various snakes after it became apparent that the snakes belonging to the Dipsadinae – a subfamily of snakes found in North and South America – could form a separate species.

Sibon irmelindicaprioae, named after Leonardo DiCaprio’s mother, is the rarest of the many. It is found in the Chocó-Darién jungle in eastern Panama and western Colombia. Alejandro Arteaga

Arteaga and Batista collected and sequenced DNA from the preserved specimens of 19 snakes to compare the differences between them. They then created an evolutionary tree of the subfamily Dipsadinae. The tree and the DNA were proof enough: they had a new species on their hands.

Arteaga, whose work with Batista is published in the magazine ZooKeys, Insider shared in an email that it took the team a year and a half just to collect the DNA samples, but the analysis was completed in a matter of days.

“Completing this project was an important milestone in my career as it allowed me to simultaneously contribute to the scientific community and to the protection of a group of elusive and threatened species,” said Arteaga.

Biologist Alejandro Arteaga examines a preserved snail-eating snake in a museumJorge Castillo

One of the five species — a red and orange snake with large, bright orange eyes — is called DiCaprio’s snail-eating snake. His scientific name, Sibon irmelindicaprioae, is a mixture of his mother’s first name, Irmelin Indenbirken, and DiCaprio’s last name.

The actor was chosen to give the snake a name to raise awareness “of the problem of rainforest destruction by open-pit mining,” according to a press release from the Khamai Foundation.

Sibon irmelindicaprioae Alejandro Arteaga

DiCaprio’s snake is described as “docile” and will not bite when attempting to defend itself against other animals.

“When threatened, individuals can hide their heads between body convolutions and produce a musky and unpleasant odor,” the study states.

It finds its food on shrubs and palm fronds up to 10 feet above the ground. The snake is native to eastern Panama and western Colombia.

Sibon marleyae, one of the five newly discovered species. Alejandro Arteaga

The four other snakes include the Canopy Snail Eater, Marley’s Snail Eater – named after billionaire Brian Sheth’s daughter – and Vieira’s Snail Eater and Welborn’s Snail Eater.

A distribution map of the five newly discovered species of snail-eating snakes Image courtesy of Arteaga

Unfortunately, the newly discovered snakes are already threatened by illegal mining for gold and copper in the forests where they live, the study authors note.

Because so much forest area is being cleared for mining, the tree-dwelling snakes are losing their habitat. Additionally, the snakes are losing their food sources — snails and snails that live near the banks of rivers and streams — due to pollution of the water from mining.

“I hope people will focus on the beauty of snakes and the actions we need to take to save them from deforestation from gold mining,” Arteaga said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Source