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| Cambodian kukri. Photo credit: Neang Thy/FFI. |
The Cambodian kukri (Oligodon kampucheaensis) snake has curved rear teeth to hold and help swallow eggs.
July 16, 2012
ReptileChannel.com
A new species of egg-eating snake has been discovered in the Cardamom Mountains in south west Cambodia. The snake, named the Cambodian kukri (Oligodon kampucheaensis) was named after the country in which it was found. Neang Thy, a Cambodia Ministry of Environment officer who works with Fauna & Flora International (FFI) discovered the snake with Dr. Lee Grismer and Dr. Jenny Daltry.
“Cambodian science was smashed under the Pol Pot regime, and only now are we picking up the pieces. It gave me a great sense of pride to both discover and describe this species, and to name it in honor of my country,” Thy said in a statement released by FFI. “Most kukri snakes are dull-colored, but this one is dark red with black and white rings, making it a beautiful snake.”
The kukri snake is a rainforest species that eats eggs as its principle food source. It has rear curved teeth that apparently are similar in shape to a Nepalese knife known as the kukri, hence the name. According to FFI, the snake is under threat due to habitat loss and land conversion, and is the second reptile FFI has described in Cambodia in 2012.
5 comments:
This snake will be a good food
beautiful khmer snake, indeed! please help educate everyone living in cambodia to help conserve, preserve and protect all of our beautiful creatures and help designate some protected forests, environment, rivers, lakes of cambodia. cambodia is such a beautiful country on earth, you know. god bless cambodia always.
ps: this khmer snake looks almost similar to the king snake, the name of the snake in north america that eats the rattle snake, you know. everyone in the world, please help to protect this beautiful khmer snake, etc...
@ 7:10 AM
This kind of snake is a threat to all bird because it eats eggs.
It can eradicate all bird species if this snake's population is not keep in check.
Baay Kdaing
ខុសខ្លួនហើយចាប់មេឃ្មុំ កូនឃ្មុំដេញទិចហើយ
ខុសខ្លួនហើយចាប់មេឃ្មុំ កូនឃ្មុំដេញទិចហើយ
ខុសខ្លួនហើយចាប់មេឃ្មុំ កូនឃ្មុំដេញទិចហើយ
ពី Red-Ant.
Actually, this wasn't the only notable discovery in terms of the genus Oligodon. Recently the Snake Man Raymond Hoser reclassified this ancient genus of snakes, comprising about 60 species, dividing it 12 ways and placing them within a new tribe.
Sure all are within Oligodonini, but the given species are often quite distantly related.
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