Early this year, researchers in the historic oasis of AlUla in northwest Saudi Arabia were ecstatic to find a new species of snake. The reptile’s eye-catching red color and stylish black collar make it an ideal choice for camouflage against the sand and rocks of the Hejaz.
Laszlo Patko, who has been working as the applied research lead at the Royal Commission for AlUla for the past two years, discovering the charismatic new species—which is mercifully non-venomous—discovered it. Patko has been inventorying the biodiversity of the region.
The Hungarian scholar said, “The snake species, Rhynchocalamus hejazicus, is new to science—it’s not just new to the region or the country.”
The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the University of Ha’il, and the RCU are among the organizations participating in the finding.
Experts from the Universidade do Porto in Portugal, Suez University in Egypt, the University of Aden in Yemen, and Natural History Collective Ventures in Malaysia collaborated with these Saudi universities.
Patko combined the results into a publication with colleagues from Saudi Arabia, the Czech Republic, and Portugal. It was accepted for publication in the esteemed international, peer-reviewed journal Zoosystematics and Evolution in a matter of months.
Also Read:
Oil Updates: Due to Concerns About Demand, Prices are Expected to Drop for the Fourth Week in a Row
