Recently, the Amphibian and Reptile Diversity and Conservation Project Team of the Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences announced its latest results: scientific researchers discovered and identified a new species of the genus Turpan Flower Snake in the Turpan Basin in Xinjiang. This is the only snake species endemic to Xinjiang and the second species of the genus Flower Snake distributed in my country.

It is understood that there are currently 34 species of snakes in the genus Snake in the world, which have gone through the Quaternary Ice Age. There is only one ancient species recorded in China before. It is mainly distributed in the desert and semi-desert areas of northwest China. They can be seen in the Tarim Basin, Junggar Basin and Eastern Xinjiang in Xinjiang.

New snake species appear in Turpan

Guo Xianguang, associate researcher at the Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that a few years ago, the scientific research team was studying the skin and slough of the striped snake in the Turpan area. Individual differences were found in sample studies, and it is speculated that new species may exist.

Last year, the team made a special trip to the Turpan Basin for investigation and found a dead snake sample on the shores of Lake Aydin. "It looks very similar to the striped snake that is more common in the northwest, but its body is longer and thicker than the striped snake, its body color is brighter, and the shape of its head and the markings on its back are also different." Guo Xianguang said, the researchers immediately It was brought back to the laboratory, and after analysis of DNA molecules and morphology, it was found that the distance between it and the mitochondrial genes of the common flower snake was more than 10%, and it could be determined to be a new species.

In mid-May this year, Guo Xianguang led the team to the Turpan Basin again and successfully captured live samples of new snake species. After further analysis, research and confirmation, the discovery was officially announced recently.

It moves quickly and has weak toxicity

"The Turpan striped snake is very alert and will flee quickly at the slightest noise. Its body almost leaves the ground when it moves quickly." Guo Xianguang said that team members were catching the snake. It took a lot of effort. The striped snake, commonly known as the "bullet snake", can sprint at speeds exceeding 30 kilometers per hour when disturbed. As its close relative, the Turpan striped snake is as fast as a "100-meter flying man."

Although the Turpan Striped Snake is a venomous snake, its venomous fangs are posterior grooved teeth that grow behind the upper jaw and are weakly toxic and do not pose a threat to humans and livestock. "Like the striped snake, it mainly preys on lizards, sand lizards, etc. After biting the prey, its fangs inject venom into the prey to anesthetize it." Guo Xianguang said.

Why did a new species of striped snake appear in the Turpan Basin

Guo Xianguang speculated that nearly 6 million years ago , due to the rapid uplift of the Eastern Tianshan Mountains and climate change, part of the ancestral population of the flower snake was stranded in the Turpan Basin. In order to adapt to the local climate and environment, they continued to evolve and eventually differentiated into the Turpan striped snake.

Guo Xianguang believes that the flower snake is an ideal material to explore the impact of geology (such as mountain uplift, river formation) and climate change (such as the Quaternary Ice Age) on the genetic differentiation and phylogeographic pattern of desert species populations. The discovery of the Turpan striped snake is of great significance to the study of the evolution of biota in arid areas and geological and climate changes. Researchers will also conduct more in-depth research.

In recent years, under the call of the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", the autonomous region has implemented the ecological protection and management project of Aydin Lake. The wetland and lake area of ​​the Ayding Lake basin have gradually recovered, and the ecological environment has been comprehensively restored. For the better. "The Turpan Basin is an important biological genetic treasure house in arid areas. The new species discovered this time also confirms that biodiversity is gradually recovering. In the future, we should continue to strengthen the monitoring and management of the ecological environment and habitats in the area to protect these precious and Unique biological resources," Guo Xianguang said.

How much do you know about snakes in Xinjiang?

In my country, Xinjiang is one of the regions with few snakes. An article published in the magazine "Arid Zone Research" shows that before this, there were 11 species of snakes in Xinjiang, including 3 families, 7 genera and 11 species. Among them, the Boa family included the Eastern sand boa and the Eastern Xinjiang sand boa; the Colubridae included the yellow-ridged snake and the flower-ridged snake. Snakes, white-striped snakes, colubrids, checkered colubrids and striped snakes; the Viperidae family includes the intermediary viper, the arctic viper and the steppe viper.

Among them are desert species that are resistant to heat and drought, such as sand boas and striped snakes; there are also cold-resistant northern mountain species, such as the Arctic viper and the prairie viper. Due to the particularity of the natural environment, most species are distributed in the colder areas north of the Tianshan Mountains, with the Tianshan Mountains as the boundary. The number of species in the northern Xinjiang is significantly more than that in the southern Xinjiang.

Among these snakes, the four most venomous ones are the intermediary viper, the prairie viper, the arctic viper and the flowered viper. Among venomous snakes, striped snakes are mildly venomous, while the other three types are more venomous. Once bitten, people need to be treated quickly.