KOMPAS.com - Para ilmuwan menemukan spesies baru ular berbisa dari keluarga pit viper di Asia Tenggara. Penemuan ini adalah hasil ekspedisi mengoleksi ular dari beberapa negara, yakni Vietnam, Laos, Kamboja dan Thailand.
Salah satu spesiesnya dinamai Cryptelytrops rubeus karena warna matanya yang merah delima. Spesies ini memiliki habitat di dekat kota Ho Chi Minh, dataran rendah di selatan Vietnam dan sebelah timur dataran tinggi Langobian di Kamboja.
Sementara spesies lain adalah Cryptelytrops cardamomensis yang memiliki mata berwarna hijau. Spesies tersebut ditemukan di pegunungan Cardamom dan berhabitat di wilayah tenggara Thailand dan tenggara Kamboja.
Dua spesies itu diyakini jenis baru setelah ilmuwan melakukan analisa genetik selama 12 tahun, melihat perbedaan fisik dan persebaran geografis dari variasi ular berbisa yang sebelumnya dikelompokkan dalam jenis ular berbisa mata besar (Cryptelytrops macrops).
Anita Malhotra dari Bangor University, salah satu anggota tim yang terlibat penelitian mengatakan, "Dua spesies itu memiliki perbedaan dalam komponen genetik mitokondria dan inti dan secara geografis terpisah, ada di pegunungan yang berbeda."
Malhotra mengatakan bahwa spesimen ular Cryptelytrops rubeus, terutama sangat sedikit dan hanya beberapa orang saja yang pernah melihat spesies tersebut. "Kami hanya punya sangat sedikit informasi sejujurnya," tandas Malhotra.
Malhotra mengatakan, bahwa ada kemungkinan spesies tersebut ini terancam punah. Hasil penelitian Malhotra dan timnya dipublikasikan di jurnal Zootaxa yang terbit 4 Februari 2011 lalu.
Found, Two New Species of Snake
KOMPAS.com - Scientists discover new species of venomous snake of the pit viper family in Southeast Asia. This discovery was the result of an expedition to collect snakes from several countries, namely Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. One of the species named Cryptelytrops rubeus because his eyes are red ruby color. This species has a habitat near the city of Ho Chi Minh, lowlands in south Vietnam and the eastern highlands Langobian in Cambodia.
While other species are Cryptelytrops cardamomensis who have green eyes. The species was found in the Cardamom mountains in the southeast and berhabitat Thailand and southeast Cambodia. Two species were believed to be a new kind after scientists conduct genetic analysis for 12 years, see the physical differences and geographical distribution of variations of venomous snakes that were previously grouped in the type of venomous snake eyes (Cryptelytrops macrops).
Anita Malhotra from Bangor University, one member of the team involved the study said, "These two species have differences in the genetic component of the mitochondria and nucleus and are geographically separated, there is a different mountain."
Anita Malhotra from Bangor University, one member of the team involved the study said, "These two species have differences in the genetic component of the mitochondria and nucleus and are geographically separated, there is a different mountain."
Malhotra said that the specimens of snakes Cryptelytrops rubeus, especially very small and only a few people who had seen the species. "We only have very little information to be honest," said Malhotra.
Malhotra said that there is a possibility that species are threatened with extinction. Malhotra and his team of research results published in the journal Zootaxa published last February 4, 2011.