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    New snake in Tanzania: 'Fierce, probably venomous'

    By JASON STRAZIUSO | Associated Press – Wed, Jan 11, 2012

    NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The world's newest snake has menacing-looking yellow and black scales, dull green eyes and two spiky horns. And it's named after a 7-year-old girl.

    Matilda's Horned Viper was discovered in a small patch of southwest Tanzania about two years ago and was introduced last month as the world's newest known snake species in an issue of Zootaxa.

    [Related: Little girl unfazed by stare-down with lion]

    Tim Davenport, the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Tanzania, was on the three-person team that discovered the viper. Thanks to his daughter, the snake will always carry a family namesake.

    "My daughter, who was 5 at the time, became fascinated by it and used to love spending time watching it and helping us look after it," Davenport told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "We called it Matilda's Viper at that stage ... and then the name stuck."

    [Slideshow: Seal pups rescued from UK storms] 

    Only three new vipers have been discovered across Africa the last three decades, making the find rare and important. The Wildlife Conservation Society is not revealing exactly where the snake lives so that trophy hunters can't hunt it.

    Davenport said he is not sure how many live in the wild because snake counts are hard to do. Twelve live in captivity and a breeding plan is being carried out.

    Davenport, a Briton who has lived in Tanzania for 12 years, said that while many people fear snakes, most are harmless and help keep rodent numbers down. Matilda's horned viper can grow to 2 feet (65 centimeters) or bigger, he said.

    "This particular animal looks fierce and probably is venomous (though bush viper bites are not fatal)," Davenport told AP via an Internet chat. "However, it is actually very calm animal and not at all aggressive. I have handled one on a number of occasions."

    The Wildlife Conservation Society runs the Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo in New York, and Davenport said it would be a "great option" to showcase the new horned viper at one of those locations, but that nothing has yet been decided.

    ___

    On the Internet:

    http://www.atherismatildae.org

     
    • benjamin
      benjamin  •  Groton, Connecticut  •  4 mths ago
      How does a phrase like "probably venomous" make any sense? After 2 years of study u haven't determined if it's venomous?
      • LA
        LA 4 mths ago
        Do you want to #$%$ it off then stick your finger in its mouth to find out?
      • Ricky
        Ricky 4 mths ago
        It must not be all that fierce!
      • Brent P.
        Brent P. 4 mths ago
        yea really, it would take me about 30 seconds to find out if its venemous or not lol
    • Carlito
      Carlito  •  4 mths ago
      Reminds me of a show about snakes I saw on the Discovery Channel a few years back when a camera man asks if a Death Adder is deadly.
      • Eli
        Eli 4 mths ago
        Sounds funny!
      • RICHARD L
        RICHARD L 4 mths ago
        Nope it's not venomous at all go ahead touch it.
      • Ian
        Ian 4 mths ago
        The Incredibly Deadly Viper, what about it? Count Olaf survived hahaha
    • DannyBoy
      DannyBoy  •  4 mths ago
      They think it is probably venomous? With 12 of them in custody and people handling them, wouldn't that be the first thing that you checked?

      Idiocracy is getting more and more of a reality.
      • Stephen
        Stephen 4 mths ago
        What do you expect them to do? Let it bite a human or another animal to find out?
        Better to let them find out in their own time. There's a reason they handle the animals and we don't.
      • Belushi
        Belushi 4 mths ago
        It is definitely venomous, all vipers are venomous. All they have to do is feed it and see if it strikes its prey first or just "milk" the venom it to see its fangs.
      • Jonathan
        Jonathan 4 mths ago
        If you believe that they don't know if its venomous or not, then yes I agree with you; Idiocracy is getting more and more of a reality.

        Its a viper. Of course its venomous. What they probably are unsure of is to what extent
    • Free To Be Me
      Free To Be Me  •  4 mths ago
      Gotta a couple of people I'd like to volunteer to test out the venom. Here let's inject this into your body and see how it effects you. lol
      • Jonny T
        Jonny T 4 mths ago
        start with congress
      • Ivan Wakinov
        Ivan Wakinov 4 mths ago
        Obozo first.
      • bike
        bike 4 mths ago
        That's why the Wildlife Conservation Society has an intern program.
    • CoolWisdomPrevails
      CoolWisdomPrevails  •  4 mths ago
      It's fierce. Also very calm and not aggressive. Who writes these misleading headlines?
      • raymond
        raymond 4 mths ago
        Headline"Fierce, probably venemous." Actual quote "This particular animal looks fierce and probably is venomous." Looks fierce, not is fierce. Attention grabbing misquote.
      • JohnP
        JohnP 4 mths ago
        Would you click on the article if it read "Very calm and not aggressive snake found"? I agree with you, though.
      • ilikepbandj
        ilikepbandj 4 mths ago
        fierce as in the word used by all good gay fashion designers and Tyra Banks.
        That viper is FIERCE honey ohhh look at the pretty colors.
    • Paul F
      Paul F  •  Colorado Springs, Colorado  •  4 mths ago
      Lets see, the headlines say "Fierce, probably venomous" The story say mildly venomous, not fatal for humans and it also says it is not aggressive. Why is it so hard for a reporter to just state the facts?
    • mr
      mr  •  4 mths ago
      The Matilda's Horned Viper? Boy, his snake buddies are going to be making fun of him big time...
    • robert
      robert  •  4 mths ago
      Thought I had found a new species of viper, but it turned out to be my ex-wife's lawyer.
    • Sam
      Sam  •  4 mths ago
      Green eyes, spike horns --- yep, it`s my ex-wife!!!! definetly venomous too!!
    • Your Mom
      Your Mom  •  4 mths ago
      not nearly as deadly as the trouser snake. that thing can lead to overpopulation and worldwide destruction.
    • Hans J.
      Hans J.  •  4 mths ago
      "Fierce"? A little girl could watch it time upon time from nearby and nothing happened to her, sounds like a distress call from someone who is afraid of anything else than concrete. "Possibly venomous"?, yes, that's what vipers are, but unless you look like their usual prey or you severly provoke them, you have nothing to worry about.
    • be Happy
      be Happy  •  4 mths ago
      LOL!! "Fierce" followed by "very calm and not at all aggressive". Very funny, news yankers.
    • Carlos
      Carlos  •  Lima, Peru  •  4 mths ago
      One can only assume Davenport's comments were poorly quoted. Wondering whether an obviously venomous species might be venomous ranks as a highly idiotic statement. And it's high time human characteristics like "fierce" and "aggressive" be dropped from any serious discussion about wildlife. Fact is, that bush viper has no notion as to what a human is, and could care less. I cringe each time some doofus on TV hoists a snake by its tail and then calls it "aggressive." What would you do if someone suspended you by your ankles. Cut all the drama; the find is a nice one....period.
    • demanding
      demanding  •  4 mths ago
      Didn't know there were any snakes outside of Congress. Interesting.
    • LAST CALL
      LAST CALL  •  4 mths ago
      you have had this snake for two years and you dont know if it is venomous? not much of a damned researcher are you!
    • Echo
      Echo  •  4 mths ago
      Why are they breeding them in captivity? Is there a shortage of this NEW venomous snake?
    • Dave
      Dave  •  Springfield, Missouri  •  4 mths ago
      Captured at least 12 and trying to breed them? Why don't we leave them alone?
    • A Yahoo! User  •  Concord, New Hampshire  •  4 mths ago
      They've known about it for two years, have 12 in captivity, and don't know if it is venemous? What have they been doing?
    • Paul Henry
      Paul Henry  •  Syracuse, New York  •  4 mths ago
      bad writing and even worse research.... they don't know if it is venomous and it is fierce looking but very clam.... can some say lazy?
    • guitar freak
      guitar freak  •  Columbus, Ohio  •  4 mths ago
      dont know how many are in the wild but lets start breeding it.ummmm maybe theres a reason that the number of them are as they are.And ive handled it many times but dont know if its venomous which being a viper would make it.im kind of wondering how much of an expert he really is,and keep messing with it and the next headline will read discoverer of new snake dies from snake bite duhhh wild animals can kill even when you are an expert ask Steve Erwin,oh thats right unfortunately you cant
     Post a comment
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