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DHAHRAN: Scientists working in the ancient oasis of AlUla in northwest Saudi Arabia were delighted earlier this year to discover a new species of snake. With its striking red color and chic black collar, the reptile is perfectly adapted to camouflage itself in the sand and rocks of the Hejaz.

Laszlo Patko, who has worked as head of applied research at the Royal Commission for AlUla for the past two years and inventoried the region's biodiversity, was part of the team that discovered the charismatic new and non-venomous species.

“The snake species Rhynchocalamus hejazicus is not just new to the region or the country – it is new to science,” the Hungarian scientist told Arab News.

Institutions involved in the discovery include RCU, Ha'il University, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority.

These Saudi institutions collaborated with experts from the Universidade do Porto in Portugal, Suez University in Egypt, the University of Aden in Yemen and Natural History Collective Ventures in Malaysia.

Together with his Saudi, Czech and Portuguese colleagues, Patko summarized the results in an article. Within a few months, it was published in the renowned international journal for life sciences. Zoosystematics and evolution.

“It was very, very quick because it was a thorough, high-quality paper with significant scientific results,” said Patko. “It was quickly accepted and published.”

“For me, it was a real joy to see that this is an important discovery not only for us, but for the entire international scientific community.”

The published article describes the new species as “a small, shy snake with distinctive coloration and melanistic morph. The new species occurs in the northwestern region of Hejaz in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and fills a large part of the existing distribution gap of the genus in the Arabian Peninsula.”

Stephen Browne, Vice President of Wildlife and Natural Heritage at RCU, said the discovery of this new species demonstrates the critical importance of the Kingdom's conservation efforts.

“This discovery is not just about cataloging a new species; it also reflects the ongoing commitment to protecting AlUla's lush, diverse ecosystems,” Browne said in a statement. “It is a symbol of our commitment to preserving this unique oasis.”

A spokesperson for the RCU agreed that there is clearly still much to learn about the adaptability of desert animals.

“This discovery is crucial for understanding the ecological dynamics of the region and the adaptation strategies of its desert wildlife, and enhances AlUla's reputation as a protected area for historical and natural treasures,” the spokesman said in a statement.

The project that led to the snake's discovery began with a region-wide wildlife survey that began in November 2022 and focused on documenting the area's biodiversity.

“We have never conducted such a thorough scientific gathering of knowledge before,” said Patko. “As part of this project, we discovered this new species 'by chance.'”

“It was a coincidence because we had thoroughly investigated all of our conservation areas and described all the species we could find. We knew that there were some species in the reserve, but we did not know their exact number or location.”

Scientists had a hunch that the region might be home to new species. Geckos and snakes were observed in the area between 2017 and 2022, but they had never been collected and thoroughly described. The survey provided the perfect opportunity to fill in these gaps.

In 2023, the team devoted its time in the desert to observing animals based on their morphology, including studying their external features, color, scale patterns, and DNA.

“Of course there are occasional ad hoc observations, but when you’re out in the field you work really hard,” Patko said.

“You get up in the desert, you sleep in the desert. You work in the desert with 10-15 different experts. Then that hard work pays off. It's a very cool way to get evidence of why it's important to work in this field.”

The team hoped to use online databases to find species such as Walterinnesia aegyptia, also known as the desert cobra or desert black snake, which is native to nearby Khaybar, where the reptile is well camouflaged in the volcanic landscape.

“Harrat Khaybar is predominantly black and grey due to the basalt and ancient volcanic activity,” said Patko. “The first specimen we found was melanistic – a completely black snake.”

The newly discovered snake, however, is bright red and has evolved to blend in with AlUla's signature color palette of red, orange and yellow. “It was quite obvious that this was indeed a new species,” Patko said.

Like many desert creatures, the snake is nocturnal. “Because of the very hot weather, Rhynchocalamus hejazicus probably hides under rocks during the day,” Patko said. “At night, they come out to hunt for invertebrates and small insects.”

And although it has tiny fangs with which it stings its prey, the snake is not venomous. It is also relatively small. “It's a very cool snake; a small snake about 20 to 30 centimeters long, easy to handle,” Patko said.

According to Patko, fewer than 20 species of snakes are known in AlUla, perhaps closer to 18. There is still much to learn about this recent addition to the reptile community.

“We don't really know much about their ecology because we only recently described the species, so we can only speculate,” Patko said.

“All the snakes we found were alone. Some snakes can gather in one place in the winter, but not these.”

But one thing is clear, in Patko's view: AlUla's value as a thriving natural habitat, which makes conservation efforts in the region all the more important in the interests of science and biodiversity.

“The extraordinary thing about this story is that the AlUla deserts can house these hidden treasures,” he said.