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Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Black-tongued predator caught by hunter in Iraq. It's a first-of-its-kind record
In the mountains of eastern Iraq, a hunter stumbled upon a black-tongued predator. Instead of killing the dangerous animal, the hunter captured it to show to scientists — and for good reason. It turned out to be a first-of-its-kind record. Basheer Al-Taei, a 'local hunter and conservationist,' visited the Zurbatia mountain foothills last August and encountered a venomous snake. Intrigued, he caught it and kept it, according to a study published June 11 in the peer-reviewed journal Check List. Al-Taei filmed the captive snake and sent the video to scientists, the study said. Researchers identified the snake as a Persian horned viper, or Pseudocerastes persicus, 'a venomous species' that had not been confirmed to live in Iraq — until now. A video shared on YouTube by study co-author Soran Ahmed shows the viper. Its head is 'spade-shaped' with pointed horn-like scales near its eyes and a black tongue. The rest of its body alternates between tan and brown patches, photos show. Al-Taei kept the Persian horned viper in captivity for 10 days before it died and 'was discarded,' researchers said. Experts have long debated whether Persian horned vipers live in the mountains of eastern Iraq. The species lives in neighboring Iran but all previous records in Iraq were 'questionable' and 'unsubstantiated by any clear, confirmed, or verified evidence,' the study said. The snake caught by Al-Taei is 'the first documented confirmation of Pseudocerastes persicus in Iraq,' researchers said. Other hunters in the Badra District, the area where Al-Taei caught the viper, told researchers they 'were aware of this viper species' presence at numerous sites within the Zurbatia foothills,' the study said. 'Locally, the species is referred to as 'Haiyah Farissiyah Um Groon,' meaning 'the Persian viper with horns' in Arabic, and is typically killed when encountered.' Researchers said their finding 'extends the geographic range' of the Persian horned viper and 'emphasizes the need for further field research on this species' distribution and conservation.' The research team included Omar Al-Sheikhly, Soran Ahmed, Korsh Ararat, Husham Abdulzahra, Wolfgang Böhme and Daniel Jablonski.
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Semi-aquatic predator found outside home in Brazil in first-of-its-kind sighting
On the outskirts of a town in northeastern Brazil, a semi-aquatic predator moved along the road near a house. The chance encounter turned out to be a first-of-its-kind sighting — and confirmation of an expert theory. Scientists received a report about a semi-aquatic snake found on the pavement of 'an urban area of the municipality of Areia, Paraíba,' in January, according to a study published May 21 in the peer-reviewed journal Check List. Intrigued by the accidental encounter, researchers took a closer look at the roughly 9-inch-long reptile and identified it as a juvenile Erythrolamprus mossoroensis, the study said. A photo shows the brown reptile. Erythrolamprus mossoroensis is a poorly known species of snake and a 'relative rarity in field studies,' according to a 2022 study. It has no English common name but is known in Portuguese as 'Cobra-d'Água' or 'Jararacuçu D'água,' names which roughly translate to 'water snake.' Erythrolamprus mossoroensis snakes are semi-aquatic predators, 'active both during the day and at night, with a diet consisting of amphibians and fish,' researchers said. Experts theorized that the species might live in the state of Paraíba because of the region's habitat and the species' presence in neighboring states, but no one had confirmed this — until now. The snake sighting in Areia, Paraíba, was the state's 'first confirmed record of (Erythrolamprus) mossoroensis,' researchers said. The team said their finding 'suggests that more specimens may be found in the region, reinforcing the need for further surveys to expand knowledge of this and other species in the area.' Paraíba is a coastal state in northeastern Brazil and a roughly 1,450-mile drive northeast from Rio de Janeiro. The research team included Élida Silva, José Robério Barboza Júnior, Mateus Dutra, Vanessa Barbosa, Frederico França and Rafaela França.
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Regenerative hammerhead creature found creeping through kitchen in Madagascar
In Madagascar's densely populated capital city of Antananarivo, a slender creature with a wide head and the ability to regenerate copies of itself should it be cut apart, wriggled its way through someone's kitchen. The discovery of the nearly 10-inch-long Bipalium kewense — also known as the hammerhead flatworm — marked the first record of the highly invasive species in Madagascar, according to a May 21 study published in the journal Check List. While attempting to collect the flatworm, it broke into three separate segments — a common behavior called fragmentation exhibited by the species. It was eventually captured and removed from the country for further analysis, researchers said. The species, native to Indochina, can reproduce asexually and has been inadvertently transported through the global plant trade, making it a highly successful colonizer, researchers said. Despite being found in more than 78 countries around the world, it has scarcely been recorded in North Africa, according to the study. Researchers said two iNaturalist entries from 2024 may have featured Bipalium kewense in areas south of Antananarivo, but those observations are unconfirmed. According to the study, Bipalium kewense has also been confirmed for the first time in Egypt and South Africa. The research team included Romain Gastineau, Andrianjaka Ravelomanana, Remondah Rushdy Ramzy, Marcel Koken, Suzelyce Eva Soavolamanoro, Christian Otis, Brian Boyle, Delphine Gey, Leigh Winsor and Jean-Lou Justine.
Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
‘Apex predators' photographed in mountains of Guatemala for first time. See them
In the mountains of a nature reserve in Guatemala, several 'apex predators' lived their lives almost completely unnoticed. Conservationists had long suspected the animals might use the park but didn't know for sure — until now. The Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve spans a massive area of northeastern Guatemala and has varied terrain ranging from lowlands to cloud forests to peaks. Conservationists had identified the park as a Jaguar Conservation Unit, or an area 'capable of supporting viable jaguar populations,' according to a study published May 15 in the peer-reviewed journal Check List. But there was a catch: 'To date, no published records, museum specimens, or media evidence confirm the presence of jaguars and pumas' in the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve, researchers said. In hopes of tracking down these elusive wild cats, researchers spent nine years monitoring wildlife at the reserve with trail cameras. Their efforts paid off. In June 2015, one trail camera 'in a preserved clouded-forest fragment' recorded a jaguar walking by, the study said. The footage was grainy but clearly showed a jaguar passing near the camera then slowly vanishing into the trees. The sighting was also 'notable' for its elevation of about 7,360 feet, researchers said. As Guatemala's 'first high-elevation jaguar record,' the footage suggested 'the species' elevational and ecological range in the country may extend beyond previous knowledge.' Trail cameras also recorded 12 sightings of six pumas, or mountain lions, the study said. Photos show a few of these 'powerful and agile' felines. In one encounter, a mountain lion stops almost directly in front of the camera and seems to look into it. Other photos show the pumas walking past at a distance or briefly poking their heads into the frame. Jaguars and pumas live in the same regions and 'play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem balance,' but their 'habitats have experienced significant range contractions and population isolation, mainly due to anthropogenic pressures such as habitat loss, fragmentation, and hunting,' the study said. 'The occurrence of jaguars and pumas across the (Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve) provides critical insights into the distribution of these apex predators in the region' and can aid conservation efforts, researchers said. The research team included Luis Trujillo, Alejandro Mármol-Kattán, Cristina Abugarade, Adriana Rivera-Sandoval, Cristina Chaluleu-Baeza, Raquel Leonardo, Diana Mansilla, Allison Trinidad, Claudia Quijivix, Isabel Martínez, Cristina Escobar, Rocío Paz, Andrid Ramírez, Bárbara Escobar-Anleu, Rebeca Escobar and Rony Garcia-Anleu.
Miami Herald
12-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Slippery creature with ‘mask' found lurking on former prison island for 1st time
From a distance, an island just off the coast of Colombia looks like paradise. Luscious trees cover nearly 150,000 acres of protected land, now known as Gorgona National Natural Park. But when you get on the island, ruins of a prison sit reclaimed by the natural environment. Prior to 1984, the island was used as the site of a maximum security prison, likened to Alcatraz, reachable only by a two-hour boat ride and home to more than 1,000 prisoners throughout its history. A quarter of a century after its construction, however, an environmental and human rights campaign led to the closure of the prison and the island's establishment as a national park, according to the Colombian government. The park is now a stop for the more adventurous sightseers, or researchers cataloging the species that call the island home. During recent fieldwork as part of a project to survey the herpetofauna, or reptiles and amphibians, a research team found a small salamander lurking inside a rotting log, according to a study published May 12 in the peer-reviewed journal Check List. The log was on the edge of the forest, and surrounded by leaf litter and fallen debris, researchers said. Salamanders live in moist environments to keep their smooth, slippery skin wet in order to breathe, according to the Texas Wildlife Association. The animal inside was 'predominantly dark brown,' and covered in 'light blue spots,' according to the study. The head was lighter brown with a 'cream colored facial mask' that match the color of sporadic cream markings on the legs. The worm-like amphibian was identified as Oedipina villamizariorum, or Villamizar's worm salamander, but this brought more questions than answers for the research team. Villamizar's worm salamanders are known for 'elongated' bodies and 'cryptic habits' that make them 'especially difficult to detect in the field,' according to the study. They also have never been found on the island before. So far, the worm salamanders had only been found in Ecuador, but the species is externally very similar to another known species, O. complex, researchers said. Because the two species require genetic testing to confirm their separation, there is a chance that salamanders that were actually O. villamizariorum were misidentified as O. complex in the past, according to the study. Previous study of the Villamizar's worm salamander in Ecuador suggested the species be listed as 'critically endangered,' researchers said, citing an incredibly small geographic range. Now, with the extended range into Colombia, that could be reconsidered. 'Expanding the species' range to Gorgona National Natural Park represents an important conservation contribution. Nevertheless, the record remains limited to a single population isolated from the mainland and confined to only (about 10 square miles),' researchers said. 'This report underscores the need for further field surveys and research, particularly in areas where the species' presence remains unconfirmed.' Gorgona National Natural Park is located off the southern coast of Colombia in the Pacific Ocean. The research team includes Ana M. Saldarriaga-Gómez, Augusto Acosta-Peña, Damián S. Pardo, Darío Alarcón-Naforo and Esteban Betancourt.
