NEWLY DISCOVERED SNAIL-EATING SNAKES BRING AWARENESS TO ILLEGAL MINING IN THE AMAZON

We, along with conservationist Leonardo DiCaprio, named two snake species in honor of loved ones to raise awareness about rainforest destruction

The mountainous region of the upper Amazon is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. However, the area has been increasingly threatened by illegal gold mining operations along the shores of the Nangaritza River, in southeastern Ecuador where these neotropical snail-eating snakes were discovered.

Ecuadorian biologist Alejandro Arteaga discovered the newly described Welborn’s Snail-eating Snake (Dipsas welborni) named after Nature and Culture’s long-time board member David Welborn to raise awareness around the threats of mining in the area. These species have a unique lifestyle that makes them particularly prone to the effects of gold mining. First, they are arboreal, so they cannot survive in areas devoid of vegetation, such as in open-pit mines. Second, they feed exclusively on slugs and snails, a soft-bodied type of prey that occurs mostly along streams and rivers and is presumably declining because of the pollution of water bodies.

“These new species of snake are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of new species discoveries in this region, but if illegal mining continues at this rate, there may not be an opportunity to make any future discoveries,” concludes Alejandro Arteaga.

As a supporter of Nature and Culture, you continue to save the snake’s habitat from the emerging gold mining frenzy. Protecting this region is the only way to save the snakes from extinction.

Visit https://www.natureandculture.org/donate/ to continue supporting projects like these.