‘Very shy’ but venomous creature is discovered in Australia. See the new species

Australia, home to more venomous snakes than any other country in the world, just added one more toxin-slinging serpent to its ranks.

A new desert-dwelling species, characterized by its distinctive blue color, was just identified by researchers at the University of Adelaide, according to a July 19 news release.

The creature had previously been confused with another snake found in the outback, but tissue analysis led researchers to determine it was indeed an undocumented species.

“Subtle but consistent differences in external appearance,” such as its copper tail and head, also helped confirm their findings.

The snake was given the name Demansia cyanochasma, which means blue gap in Latin — a nod to the creature’s “unique” color pattern.

Found throughout arid areas on the continent, the snake can grow up to about 3 feet long and is “fast moving.”

However, humans should not be concerned by the scaly creature’s discovery, researchers said, noting that the animals are “very shy and tend to flee at the first sign of danger.”

The reclusive viper is only “mildly venomous,” too, so any human who may get bit is unlikely to be seriously harmed.

The newfound creature, the 15th whip snake discovered in Australia, is most active throughout the day, when it hunts down lizards it suppresses with its venom.

“Our country is home to more species of reptile than anywhere else in the world and there are still even more species just waiting to be discovered,” James Nankivell, one of the study’s authors, said in the release.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Adelaide, located on the country’s southern coast, and two museums published their findings in the journal Zootaxa.

This story was originally published July 19, 2023 at 12:33 PM with the headline "‘Very shy’ but venomous creature is discovered in Australia. See the new species."