Snail-eating Snake Named For Leonardo DiCaprio
Five previously unknown tree-dwelling snake species, including one named in honor of Leonardo DiCaprio's mother, were found in the jungles Central and South America.
Credit: Alejandro Arteaga
Credit: Alejandro Arteaga
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TechTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:07 Five new tree-dwelling snake species have been discovered in the jungles of Ecuador, Colombia and Panama.
00:14 Leonardo DiCaprio, Brian Sheath and Nature and Culture International named three of the new species in honor of loved ones
00:22 while raising awareness about the issue of rainforest destruction due to gold mining.
00:27 Gold mining in Latin America has exploded.
00:30 Vast areas of previously untouched rainforest are currently being transformed into open pit mines,
00:37 a barren landscape into which tree-dwelling snakes cannot survive.
00:41 One of these snakes is the DiCaprio snail-eating snake, named after Leonardo DiCaprio's mother.
00:50 It is an extremely rare species that occurs in the largely unexplored Chocó-da-Rin jungle.
00:57 The second species is the Marley snail-eating snake, named after conservationist Brian Sheath's daughter.
01:04 This reptile has a unique Christmas coloration and so far has only been found in undisturbed primary rainforest.
01:12 The third is the Wellborn snail-eating snake, named after David Wellborn,
01:17 former member of the board of Nature and Culture International.
01:21 Sadly, this new serpent is declining rapidly due to massive gold mining operations in the previously pristine Cordillera del Condor.
01:30 The Canopy snail-eating snake and the Vieira snail-eating snake are also declining due to rainforest destruction in general,
01:38 but not as fast as the other three species.
01:40 Fortunately, three NGOs in Ecuador and Panama have already made it their mission to save the snake's habitat from the emerging gold mining frenzy.
01:49 Supporting these organizations is vital, because their quest for immediate land protection is the only way to save the snakes from extinction.
01:58 [Music]