by Bandy-bandy” New breed of extremely ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍᴏᴜs snake discovered in Australia
A ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟʏ new breed of ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍᴏᴜs snake has been discovered in Australia, after researchers stumbled upon the ʟᴇᴛʜᴀʟ reptile hiding in plain sight.
Bandy Bandys have 48 or more sharply contrasting black and white rings fully encircling the body. The eyes are small and the tail is bluntly-tipped. This species grows to 76 cm. Midbody scale rows 15; ventrals 180–260; anal divided; subcaudals divided 12–30. This species is widespread through eastern and far northern Australia. Found in most habitats from wet coastal rainforest to desert. This snake is a burrowing, nocturnal species that is often found sheltering beneath rocks and logs. It is sometimes seen crossing roads on humid nights.When threatened, this snake raises loops of the body vertically off the ground. The significance of this display is unknown, but probably serves to confuse ᴘʀᴇᴅᴀᴛᴏʀs. It may also help to protect the snake’s head which remains on the ground.
It also packs a ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍᴏᴜs ʙɪᴛᴇ. Queensland snake catcher Brydie Maro told Daily Mail Australia that a run-in with a bandy-bandy could prove ꜰᴀᴛᴀʟ, and compared the ᴛᴏxɪᴄɪᴛʏ of its ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ to the much-ᴍᴀʟɪɢɴᴇᴅ red-bellied black snake. Typical symptoms resulting from a ʙɪᴛᴇ include ʟᴏᴄᴀʟɪsᴇᴅ ᴘᴀɪɴ, sᴡᴇʟʟɪɴɢ of the site of the ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ and surrounding joints, ᴛɪɴɢʟɪɴɢ and ɴᴜᴍʙɴᴇss of extremities.
he ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ of this species is poorly known. One case of snake-bite with moderately severe local symptoms has been reported.Apply first aid and seek urgent medical attention for all suspected ʙɪᴛᴇs. First aid procedure for any snakebite from the Australian ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ Research UnitExternal .Feeds almost exclusively on ʙʟɪɴᴅ snakes (family Typhlopidae). It feeds infrequently and can do without food and water for extended periods.2 – 13 eggs are laid. The hatchling snakes are around 17 cm from the tip of the snout to the base of the tail (snout-vent length).
Moreover, researchers are suggesting that the new snake’s ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ could prove invaluable as a source of proteins that might be used in the production of future medications. ‘Every species is precious and we need to protect them all, since we can’t predict where the next wonder-drug will come from. ‘The discovery of this enigmatic little snake is symptomatic of the much more fundamental problem of how little we know about our biodiversity and how much may be lost before we even discover it.’
