It will not be the first or the last time that a hepatologist receives a snake bite. Luckily, in this case, although it was a poisonous viper, the person affected was able to fully recover. And luckily, the incident was the beginning of a success story. The affected person -Lucas Bustamante- and the group of experts from the Khamai Foundation who participated in the expedition ended up identifying the responsible snake, which belongs to a species unknown to science to date, and four other new varieties of rattlesnakes that live in forests. very little accessible from Colombia and Ecuador. The results of this research have been presented in an article published in the journal Evolutionary Systematics.
Specifically, after examining what appeared to be the species of snake causing the original bite, Schlegel's horny mouth or crotal (scientific name Bothriechis schlegelii, also known as Trigonocephalus schlegelii), the study authors propose the existence of the species Bothriechis klebbai, Bothriechis rasikusumorum, Bothriechis khwargi, Bothriechis rahimi and Bothriechis hussaini
Eyelash vipers (within the genus Bothriechis) stand out - in addition to being venomous - for a distinctive characteristic: a set of enlarged scales in the shape of spines placed above their eyes. These eyelashes increase the appearance of ferocity that we humans attribute to these snakes.
Lucas Bustmante was bitten on the finger by the eyelash viper while taking photographs during a research expedition in 2013. “I felt intermittent local pain, dizziness and swelling, but recovered shortly after receiving three doses of antivenom in less than two hours; The bite did not leave a scar,” explains Bustamante in a note released by the publishing group (Pensoft) of the scientific journal in which the results of the study are presented.
Fortunately, as was later confirmed, "the venom of the new species of vipers discovered is considerably less lethal and hemorrhagic than that of the typical Central American eyelash viper," says Lucas Bustamante, co-author of the now published study.
Eyelash vipers are also famous for another characteristic: they are polychromatic. The same area of rainforest may contain individuals of the turquoise form, the moss form or the golden form, all belonging to the same species despite having completely different clothing. “No two individuals have the same coloration, not even those that belong to the same litter (yes, they give birth to live offspring),” says Alejandro Arteaga, principal investigator of the study.
For some of the species, there is a Christmas form, a ghost form and even a purple form, and the different varieties can coexist and reproduce with each other. The reason behind these incredible color variations is still unknown, but it probably allows the vipers to occupy a wide range of ambush positions, from moss-covered branches to bright yellow heliconias.
Three of the five new species are endemic to the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, where they occupy cloud forests and coffee plantations. One of them, the Rahim viper, stands out for occurring in the remote and pristine Chocó rainforest on the border between Colombia and Ecuador, an area considered “complex to visit” due to the presence of drug cartels. Hussain's eyelash viper is found in the forests of southwestern Ecuador and extreme northwestern Peru. Researchers highlight the importance of conservation and research in the Andes mountain range and its valleys due to its biogeographic importance and its undiscovered megadiversity.
The Chocó rainforest is home to four vipers of the Bothriechis schlegelii species complex, including two new species discovered by Arteaga et al. 2024. Photo by Lucas Bustamante
One of the key conclusions of the study is that four of the group's species face a high risk of extinction. They have an extremely limited geographic range and between 50% and 80% of their habitat has already been destroyed. Therefore, rapid response action is urgently needed to save the remaining habitat.
Two of the new species of vipers, Rahim's eyelash viper (Bothriechis rahimi) and Hussain's eyelash viper (B. hussaini), are named in honor of Prince Hussain Aga Khan and Prince Rahim Aga Khan, respectively, in recognition of their support to protect endangered global biodiversity around the world through Focused On Nature (FON) and the Aga Khan Development Network. The Shah's eyelash viper (B. rasikusumorum) honors the Shah family, while the Klebba's eyelash viper (B. klebbai) and Khwarg's eyelash viper (B. khwargi) honor Casey Klebba and Dr. Juewon Khwarg, respectively, for supporting the discovery and conservation of new species.
The Khamai Foundation is creating a reserve to protect a sixth new species that was not described in the current study. “The need to protect eyelash vipers is critical, as unlike other snakes, they cannot survive without adequate canopy cover. Their beauty, while worthy of celebration, must also be carefully protected and monitored, as poachers are known to target charismatic tree vipers for the illegal trade in exotic wild animals as pets,” warns Arteaga. Finally, he and his team encourage support for research on the venom components of new species of vipers. This will promote their conservation and help communities that regularly encounter eyelash vipers.
