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Ethiopian highlands yield a new species of egg-eating snake

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 09/10/2026, 08:09:23 UTC.

Briefings

A new species of egg-eating snake, Dasypeltis albigularis, was identified in the Harenna Forest, southern Ethiopia, in 2019. The snake features an ink-black body, bluish scales, and a stark-white throat and belly. Researchers named it after the white throat. It feeds exclusively on bird eggs, cracking them with specialized vertebrae in its throat. The species was first observed by Arthur Tiutenko and colleagues from Germany's University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, who initially mistook it for the African egg-eating snake (Dasypeltis atra) before genetic analysis confirmed its distinctiveness. The discovery was made in a forested mountain range previously unvisited by researchers.

Key points

• The new species Dasypeltis albigularis was first observed in the Harenna Forest, southern Ethiopia, in 2019 by researchers from Germany's University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
• The snake is nonvenomous and feeds entirely on bird eggs, cracking them with specialized vertebrae in its throat before swallowing them.

Context and limitations

The study relies on a single documented sighting in 2019 and captive breeding trials; long-term population dynamics and distribution across the entire Ethiopian highlands remain unverified.

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