Half-asleep creature with ‘window’ in its eyelid found in Vietnam. It’s a new species
Hiking up a mountain in Vietnam, scientists noticed a half-asleep creature under a fallen tree. Something about the “slender” animal caught their attention — and for good reason.
It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers climbed the 10,300-foot peak of Mount Fansipan in May 2022 to survey wildlife, according to a study published Nov. 11 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. The surrounding mountain range “is known as one of the centers of new species discoveries in Vietnam.”
During the hike, researchers found several brown lizards lying very still under fallen trees. Intrigued, they took a closer look at the animals and quickly realized they’d discovered a new species: Scincella fansipanensis, or the Fansipan ground skink.
Fansipan ground skinks are considered “medium”-sized, reaching about 5.5 inches in length, the study said. They have “slender” bodies, “relatively short” limbs and an “opaque window” in their lower eyelids.
Photos show the brown coloring of the new species. Overall, it looks relatively uniform with a few “irregularly shaped dark spots” and a “yellowish” belly, researchers said.
Fansipan ground skinks were “found under fallen trees in open areas or grassland,” the study said. The animals “did not move or attempt to escape when the fallen trees were removed” and were likely in brumation.
Brumation is the reptile version of hibernation, according to the South Carolina Aquarium. “In response to cold temperatures,” reptiles will enter a half-asleep state with occasional periods of activity. “Though they do not eat, they continue to drink to avoid dehydration.”
Fansipan ground skinks live on a chilly mountain at elevations of about 7,400 to 7,800 feet and likely spend time in brumation to survive, the study said.
Researchers said they named the new species after Mount Fansipan where it was discovered and, so far, the only place where it has been found. The mountain is in northwestern Vietnam, about 810 miles northwest of Ho Chi Minh City and near the border with China.
The new species was identified by its body size, scale pattern, toes, coloring and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 14% genetic divergence from other related skinks.
The research team included Shinya Okabe, Masaharu Motokawa, Yuki Koizumi, Truong Quang Nguyen, Tao Thien Nguyen and Hai Tuan Bui.
This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Half-asleep creature with ‘window’ in its eyelid found in Vietnam. It’s a new species."
