New snake species found - Fiji Times Online

Helen and I had a friend of ours capture these and Helen preserved them in Taveuni before transporting to Dick Watling in Suva.

A NEW snake species has been discovered at Vuna on Taveuni.

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According to NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, a conservation organisation, this new species is not only new to Fiji but has not been found anywhere else in the world.

The snake is a small, blind, burrowing snake. It is shiny black in colour, reaches about 25 cm in length, and is harmless.

A preliminary reaction from Dr George Zug of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, the world authority on Fiji's reptiles, is that this is unlike any other described species of snake in the world.

A survey undertaken by NatureFiji-MareqetiViti in conjunction with the Taveuni Paradise Resort has revealed that most farmers in south Taveuni are quite familiar with the Ngata ni qele, though they only see it rarely when digging their gardens or in the forests for wild yams.

"This snake is a classic example of how little we know about the very special wildlife which we have in our own backyard, and provides all the more encouragement for NatureFiji-MareqetiViti in its ambition to get Fiji's youth informed, interested and active in the conservation of the nation's wildlife" Nunia Thomas, Conservation Coordinator, NatureFiji-MareqetiViti.

New snake species found - Fiji Times Online