If you thought that cobra
was the deadliest snake in the world, here comes a new viper that will send chills
down your spine. Scientists have discovered a new species of snake that is capable
of striking without opening its mouth.
The venomous creature was
found hidden in the evergreen forests of Guinea and Liberia and was later
identified as a new species that belongs to the stiletto snakes. These vipers have
long fangs sticking out of the corner of their mouths and this unique feature
allows them to attack its pray sideways.
When the researchers
found the snake for the first time in Liberian forest, they tried gripping it behind
the head with their fingers.
“In this head position,
the snake repeatedly tried to strike”, the authors wrote on their blog.
“Either it tried to move
slowly away from the human observers or it abruptly coiled and uncoiled, often
jumping distances equaling almost its entire body length, similar to wolf
snakes of the genus Lycophidion.”
Luckily, no one was hurt.
A stiletto snake’s bite would be necessarily life threatening, but it can cause
severe pain, swelling, blistering and even major tissue damage. Dangerous for a
harmless-looking snake, right?
