|
'Chameleon snake' discovered
27/06/2006 08:13 - (SA)
|
|
|
 |
|
| A scientist holds the head of Enhydris Gyii, known in West Kalimantan as Kapuas Mud Snake. (Mark Aulya, WWF, AP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Geneva - Biologists working in the
forests of Borneo have found a previously unknown type of snake
which can change its colour spontaneously like a chameleon, the
environmental body WWF said on Tuesday.
The poisonous snake, about half a metre long,
was discovered in the wetlands and swamp forests of Betung
National Park in the Indonesian part of the island, which is
also shared by Malaysia and Brunei.
When picked up and put in a bucket, it was reddish-brown but
later changed its colour to white, apparently in an automatic
reaction to blend in with surroundings, according to the WWF.
The biologists named the serpent, two specimens of which
were recovered, the Kapuas Mud Snake after the river that flows
through the region.
The WWF said although some reptiles with legs, like the
chameleon lizard, had the ability to change colour, it was rare
for snakes.
|
