Scientists have just discovered a strange new species of snake, called ” ghost snake “, in Madagascar .
After walking 30 km in the rain to the Tsingy Limestone area, the research team from the American Museum of Natural History found this light gray snake.
The snakes have distinctive eyes with vertical pupils, suggesting that they may belong to the cat-eyed snake family.
However, their distinct color and shape suggest the possibility that they are a completely new subspecies.
This snake is named Madagascarophis lolo, which means “ghost” in Malagasy, but is also called Madagascarophis fuschi.
Dr. Sara Ruane from the Natural History Museum said the snake is unlike any other cat-eyed snake in Madagascar and more research is needed to better understand it.
The team is currently conducting morphological and genetic analysis, including counting scales and comparing them with related species.
Initial analysis suggests that this ghost snake may be an entirely new group of animals.
