Ecuador..Discovery of a new species of pygmy boa constrictor

Scientists in the Ecuadorian Amazon have discovered a new species of pygmy boa, naming it Tropidophis cacuangoae after the region’s indigenous people.

Phys.org points out that, according to the Ministry of the Environment of Ecuador, the second part of the name of this pygmy boa constrictor (a type of snake), which does not exceed 20 cm in length, is a tribute to the public figure Dolores Kakvango, an indigenous rights activist in the early 20th century C From the 1930s to the 1960s, she campaigned extensively for the rights of indigenous peoples in Ecuador.

Scientists note that two species of pygmy boas were found in the Colonso Chalobas National Nature Reserve and in the private park Sumak Kavsay. Thus, the total number of discovered pygmy boas endemic to South America reaches six species.

“These snakes are very ancient, and yet finding them is a great success,” says researcher Mario Yanes from the National Institute of Biological Diversity in Ecuador.

The species found now is unusual, as it has a primitive pelvic region, characteristic of primitive snakes. Some consider this evidence that snakes are descended from lizards.

Source: Izvestia newspaper.