New pitviper species found in Sichuan
- Researchers from Chengdu Institute of Biology discovered a previously unrecognized pitviper species in western Sichuan's misty mountains. - DNA analysis revealed the snake was distinct despite resembling known species, reversing years of misidentification. - Scientists say the discovery updates biodiversity records and informs conservation planning in Giant Panda National Park areas. (brightcast.news)
DNA works like a family tree for species, and in western Sichuan it showed a bright green pitviper long labeled as another snake was actually its own species. The team named it *Trimeresurus lii* after confirming it was distinct from the bamboo pitviper *T. stejnegeri*. (zse.pensoft.net) Researchers from the Chengdu Institute of Biology, the Giant Panda National Park Chengdu Administration and other Chinese institutions published the species description in *Zoosystematics and Evolution* on January 30, 2026. The paper says the snake was found in western Sichuan Province in the West China Rain Zone. (zse.pensoft.net) For decades, field workers had treated these snakes as *T. stejnegeri* because both are green and broadly similar in shape. The authors said DNA-based phylogenetic analysis, which compares inherited sequences across populations, placed the Sichuan snakes on their own branch. (zse.pensoft.net) The team also reported physical traits that stayed consistent across specimens, including smooth head scales that differed from the more widespread relative. Males have a red-and-white side stripe and amber eyes, while females have a yellow stripe and orange-yellow eyes. (eurekalert.org) The paper counts *T. lii* as the 58th recognized species in the genus *Trimeresurus* worldwide. It is also the second species in its subgenus reported from Sichuan Province. (zse.pensoft.net) The known range in the news release includes Mt. Emei and Xiling Snow Mountain, both inside a wet, mountainous region of western Sichuan with heavy cloud and forest cover. The authors and publisher said the find adds to biodiversity records for the Giant Panda National Park region. (phys.org) Taxonomy, the science of naming and classifying life, often changes when genetics shows that look-alike animals are not the same lineage. In this case, the correction matters because park surveys, species lists and habitat planning depend on knowing which animals are actually present. (sciencedaily.com) The species is venomous, and the release said it can cause snakebite envenoming in mountain areas where people and snakes share habitat. That gives the identification value beyond museum records, because local conservation and public-safety planning both start with accurate species names. (eurekalert.org) The name *lii* honors Li Er, better known as Laozi, according to the research team. In a landscape better known globally for pandas, the new record shows that western Sichuan’s misty forests are still yielding animals that had been hiding in plain sight. (phys.org)
