Five previously unknown tree-dwelling snake species, including one named in honor of Leonardo DiCaprio's mother, were found in the jungles Central and South America.
Credit: Alejandro Arteaga
Credit: Alejandro Arteaga
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00:00Five new tree-dwelling snake species have been discovered in the jungles of Ecuador,
00:12Colombia and Panama. Leonardo DiCaprio, Brian Sheath and Nature and Culture International
00:18named three of the new species in honor of loved ones while raising awareness about the issue of
00:24rainforest destruction due to gold mining. Gold mining in Latin America has exploded.
00:30Vast areas of previously untouched rainforests are currently being transformed into open pit mines,
00:37a barren landscape into which tree-dwelling snakes cannot survive.
00:44One of the snakes is the DiCaprio snail-eating snake, named after Leonardo DiCaprio's mother.
00:50It is an extremely rare species that occurs in the largely unexplored Chocodaringa.
00:57The second species is the Marley snail-eating snake, named after conservationist Brian Sheath's daughter.
01:04This reptile has a unique Christmas coloration and so far has only been found in undisturbed
01:10finery rainforest. The third is the Welborn snail-eating snake, named after David Welborn,
01:16former member of the Board of Nature and Culture International. Sadly, this new serpent is declining
01:23rapidly due to massive gold mining operations in the previously pristine Cordillera del Condor.
01:30The canopy snail-eating snake and the vieira snail-eating snake are also declining due to
01:35rainforest destruction in general, but not as fast as the other three species. Fortunately, three NGOs in
01:42Ecuador and Panama have already made their mission to save the snake's habitat from the emerging gold mining
01:48frenzy. Supporting these organizations is vital because their quest for immediate land protection is
01:54the only way to save the snakes from extinction.