{"id":224111,"date":"2023-11-06T16:59:29","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T16:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allworldreport.com\/?p=224111"},"modified":"2023-11-06T16:59:29","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T16:59:29","slug":"venomous-snake-with-weird-forked-penis-could-pose-a-threat-to-humans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allworldreport.com\/world-news\/venomous-snake-with-weird-forked-penis-could-pose-a-threat-to-humans\/","title":{"rendered":"Venomous snake with weird forked penis could ‘pose a threat to humans’"},"content":{"rendered":"
A newly-discovered venomous snake with form for attacking people and who boasts a strange forked penis could be a danger to humans, according to experts.<\/p>\n
The Uetz's pit viper, a new species discovered in central and southern Myanmar, has haemotoxic venom that can destroy red blood cells and cause organ degeneration. Herpetologist Gernot Vogel confirmed the snake's venomous nature, stating: "The species poses a threat to humans, although it should not usually be fatal." <\/p>\n
His co-author, Tan Van Nguyen of Vietnam's Duy Tan University, added that the snake is known for frequently attacking humans in certain regions of Myanmar.<\/p>\n
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The snake was identified as a new species due to its unique eye and body colour, as well as the male's "much shorter" and "deeply forked" genitals. Dr Vogel explained: "Every snake has two hemipenes, and hundreds of reptiles have a forked hemipenis."<\/p>\n
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"I have no idea if it has some benefit maybe it's better for pairing on trees and bushes, but it is not certain that there is some reason."<\/p>\n
In life, Uetz's pit viper has a vibrant green colour. But the new species was identified using preserved specimens, collected from 1998 to 2009.<\/p>\n
How it hunts is therefore best deduced from related snakes. "It sits motionless in the bushes waiting for reptiles, frogs, mice or birds," said Dr Vogel.<\/p>\n
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"This new species was described recently, so of course there is no data available, but that is the typical behaviour of the green species of this genus."<\/p>\n
A 2021 study of confirmed or suspected Trimeresurus bites in Myanmar found multiple patients suffered swelling and problems with blood clotting.<\/p>\n
Out of 355 cases, 21 suffered acute kidney injury also known as acute renal failure with one of these needing dialysis.<\/p>\n
The new species was given the scientific name Trimeresurus uetzi in honour of Peter Uetz, a scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University, who created the Reptile Database.<\/p>\n
Gernot Vogel, Tan Van Nguyen and their co-author Patrick David published their study in the journal Zootaxa.<\/p>\n
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to webhomepage@mirror.co.uk <\/b><\/p>\n
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