Discovery of a new species of pit vipers in Thailand

A new species of Crotalus, a venomous snake, has been discovered in Satun Province in southern Thailand.

This new species of snake was discovered just a few days after the discovery of a new species of spider.

See: A new species of blue-legged tarantula discovered in Thailand

This Crotalus (or pit viper) is the smallest ever found in the subfamily of venomous snakes.

The Crotalinae or Pit Vipers are a subfamily of snakes in the Viperidae family.

Saengsuree Songthong, head of the national park, stated that he, his assistant Nakhen Kaweethanatham and research officer Bunyarit Dechochai accidentally spotted the snakes while they were resting under a limestone shelter recently.

They took photos and asked a researcher to identify them.

The research then revealed that the team had made a new discovery.

Mr. Saengsuree stated that the newly discovered species bore the scientific name 'Trimeresurus ciliaris' and was called 'limestone eyelash viper'.

It resembles Trimeresurus venustus or "beautiful pit viper".

The limestone eyelash viper is smaller than the beautiful pit viper, said the park ranger.

Its eyelashes and nose are larger and the patterns on its lateral scales are clearer.

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