Specimens of two rare snake species, the la koroa snake (Oligodonlacroixi bellus) and the bella rat snake (Maculophis bellus chapaensis)have been found in Hoang Lien mountainous area in the northwesternprovince of Lao Cai.
In early January, the research departmentfrom the Vietnam National Museum of Nature, the Saint Petersburg ZoologyInstitute and the Tu-la Amphibian and Reptile Taming Centre (Russia)jointly surveyed the area.
The two rare snakes were discovered for the first time in the 1980s by French scientists.
Thela koroa snake is recognisable through its brown with yellow spottedback and black stripes along its length. Its orange belly also has blackstripes. The species is acknowledged to exist in Lao Cai of Vietnam,and Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China.
The bella rat snake has a red-orange back with yellow and black stripes, and an orange belly with purple veins.
Ithas two subspecies including the Maculphis bellus bellus populatingsouthern China and the Maculophis bellus chapaensis which is recorded asbeing unique in Vietnam./.
In early January, the research departmentfrom the Vietnam National Museum of Nature, the Saint Petersburg ZoologyInstitute and the Tu-la Amphibian and Reptile Taming Centre (Russia)jointly surveyed the area.
The two rare snakes were discovered for the first time in the 1980s by French scientists.
Thela koroa snake is recognisable through its brown with yellow spottedback and black stripes along its length. Its orange belly also has blackstripes. The species is acknowledged to exist in Lao Cai of Vietnam,and Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China.
The bella rat snake has a red-orange back with yellow and black stripes, and an orange belly with purple veins.
Ithas two subspecies including the Maculphis bellus bellus populatingsouthern China and the Maculophis bellus chapaensis which is recorded asbeing unique in Vietnam./.
