DHARAN: Scientists working in the ancient oasis of AlUla in northwestern Saudi Arabia were delighted to discover a new species of snake earlier this year. With its striking red colour and sleek black collar, the reptile is perfectly adapted to camouflage in the sands and rocks of the Hejaz.
This fascinating new species is thankfully non-venomous and was discovered by Laszlo Patko, who has been working as an applied research officer at the Royal Commission for AlUla for the past two years to study the biodiversity of the area.
“The snake species Rhynchocalamus hejazicus is not only new to the region or the country, but also new to science,” the Hungarian scholar told Arab News.
Institutions involved in the discovery include RCU, Hail University, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority.
The Saudi institutions collaborated with experts from the University of Porto in Portugal, the University of Suez in Egypt, the University of Aden in Yemen, and Natural History Collective Ventures in Malaysia.
Patko, along with colleagues from Saudi Arabia, the Czech Republic, and Portugal, compiled their findings into a paper that was published in a prestigious, internationally peer-reviewed life science journal within a few months. Animal Phylogeny and Evolution.
“It went very, very quickly because it was a very rigorous, high-quality paper with a lot of scientific findings,” Patko said. “It was accepted and published very quickly.
“For me, it was a real joy to see that this was an important discovery not just for us, but for the entire international scientific community.”
The published paper describes the new species as a “small, secretive snake with unusual coloration and black discoloration.” The new species is found in the Hejaz region of northwestern Saudi Arabia, filling a significant gap in the genus’s distribution in the Arabian Peninsula.
Stephen Brown, vice president for wildlife and natural heritage at the RCU, said the discovery of this new species was an example of how important conservation work was across the Kingdom.
“This discovery is not simply a new species description, but reflects our ongoing efforts to protect AlUla’s lush and diverse ecosystem,” Brown said in a statement. “It is a symbol of our commitment to preserving this unique oasis.
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An RCU spokesperson agreed there was still much to be learned about desert animals' adaptability.
“This discovery is important for our understanding of the ecological dynamics of the region and the adaptive strategies of desert wildlife, and will help enhance AlUla’s reputation as a sanctuary for historical and natural treasures,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The project, which led to the snake discovery, began in November 2022 with a wildlife inventory across the region, focusing on documenting the area's biodiversity.
“We’ve never done this kind of rigorous, scientific knowledge gathering before,” Patko said. “In the framework of this project, we ‘accidentally’ discovered this new species.
“It was serendipitous in the sense that we had thoroughly surveyed all the nature reserves and described every species we could find. We knew that some species were present in the reserves, but we didn't know the exact numbers or where they were.”
Scientists had a hunch that this area could be home to a new species. Lizards and snakes had been observed in the area between 2017 and 2022, but had never been collected and rigorously described. This list provided the perfect opportunity to fill this gap.
In 2023, the research team spent time in the desert observing the animals morphologically. This included their external characteristics, color, scale patterns, and DNA.
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• Around half of AlUla’s territory is made up of six nature reserves, including the Sharan Nature Reserve, which covers 1,500km2.
• The reserve is home to more than 1,580 animals from four species that have been successfully reintroduced to the area.
• Through habitat restoration, reintroduction of native species and sustainable practices, AlUla aims to create a thriving and harmonious ecosystem.
“Of course, there are occasional ad hoc observations, but once we get out there, we work really hard,” Patko said.
“You wake up in the desert, you sleep in the desert, you work in the desert with 10 to 15 other professionals. And that makes the hard work worth it. It's a really cool way to demonstrate why it's important to be out there.”
Using online databases, the team expected to find species such as Walterinnesia aegyptia, also known as the desert cobra or desert black snake, which is endemic to nearby Khaibar and is well camouflaged in the volcanic terrain.
“Harat Khaibar is mostly black and gray because of the basalt and the ancient volcanic activity,” Patko said. “The first specimen we found was a melanistic one, a completely black snake.”
The newly discovered snake, by contrast, is a vibrant red, having evolved to blend in with AlUla’s unique red, orange and yellow color palette. “It was very clear that this was indeed a new species,” Patko said.
Like many desert dwellers, this snake is nocturnal. “During the day, when it’s very hot, Rhynchocalamus hejazicus will hide under rocks,” Patko said. “At night, they come out to hunt invertebrates, small insects.”
And while it has small fangs to attack its prey, the snake is not venomous. It’s also relatively small. “It’s a very nice snake. It’s a small snake, about 20 to 30 centimeters long, so it’s easy to handle,” Patko said.
According to Patko, there are fewer than 20 known snake species in AlUla, and it is probably closer to 18. There is still a lot to learn about this new addition to the reptile community.
“In fact, we don’t know much about its ecology because we only recently described the species, so we can only speculate,” Patko said.
“All the snakes we found were alone. Some snakes may congregate in one place during the winter, but these ones don't.”
But one thing Patco is certain of is that AlUla is a thriving natural habitat, making conservation efforts in the area all the more important for the benefit of science and biodiversity.
“What’s so special about this story is that there could be such a hidden gem in the AlUla desert,” he said.
