Five previously unknown tree-dwelling snake species, including one named in honor of Leonardo DiCaprio's mother, were found in the jungles Central and South America.
Credit: Alejandro Arteaga
Credit: Alejandro Arteaga
Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:005 new tree-dwelling snake species have been discovered in the jungles of Ecuador, Colombia
00:12and Panama.
00:15Leonardo DiCaprio, Brian Sheath and Nature and Culture International named three of the
00:19new species in honor of loved ones while raising awareness about the issue of rainforest destruction
00:25due to gold mining.
00:28Gold mining in Latin America has exploded.
00:31Vast areas of previously untouched rainforests are currently being transformed into open
00:36pit mines, a barren landscape into which tree-dwelling snakes cannot survive.
00:44One of these snakes is the DiCaprio snail-eating snake, named after Leonardo DiCaprio's mother.
00:50It is an extremely rare species that occurs in the largely unexplored Chocó-da-Renjun.
00:57The second species is the Marley snail-eating snake, named after conservationist Brian Sheath's
01:03daughter.
01:04This reptile has a unique Christmas coloration and so far has only been found in undisturbed
01:10primary rainforests.
01:12The third is the Wellborn snail-eating snake, named after David Wellborn, former member
01:18of the board of Nature and Culture International.
01:21Sadly, this new serpent is declining rapidly due to massive gold mining operations in the
01:27previously pristine Cordillera del Condo.
01:31The Canopy snail-eating snake and the Vieira snail-eating snake are also declining due
01:35to rainforest destruction in general, but not as fast as the other three species.
01:41Fortunately, three NGOs in Ecuador and Panama have already made it their mission to save
01:46the snake's habitat from the emerging gold mining frenzy.
01:50Helping these organizations is vital, because their quest for immediate land protection
01:54is the only way to save the snakes from extinction.