UK student adder-ment Kimberly snake is its own species

It took someone from the other side of the world to realise a particular Western Australian death adder snake was actually its own unique species – unrelated to those found in the Northern Territory as first thought.

A student from Bangor University in the UK was comparing genetic material from different species when the discovery was made. Turns out death adder snakes from the Kimberley aren’t the well-known northern death adder after all – they are actually closer in relation to the desert death adder and Pilbara death adder.

The find sparked an investigation by a team of researchers in WA, who relied on the collective power of years of research to examine specimens from various museums. The results confirmed the biological differences, meaning a new rare species of snake had officially been identified - the Kimberley death adder

We always knew it to be a rare, highly venomous snake that lies in wait to ambush its prey. Now we know its in a league of its own.

So spare a thought for this slippery serpent – just think of the identity crisis it must be going through! At least, over time, he can ssssssleep easy knowing who he is! That’s the Power of &.

 

References:

• http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-16/rare-kimberley-death-adder-identified-as-unique-species/6781746