發現新物種，“廣西兩頭蛇”

近日，廣西花坪國家級自然保護區境內發現兩頭蛇科兩頭蛇屬新物種——廣西兩頭蛇。該成果已發布于國際動物分類學期刊《動物系統學與進化》。

A new species of snake, the Guangxi reed snake, has been identified in Guilin, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, adding to the country's growing list of documented wildlife.

The findings were published in the international journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.

圖為廣西新發現物種——廣西兩頭蛇。來源：新華社

此次新物種發現，源于廣西花坪國家級自然保護區綜合科學考察的兩棲爬行類動物資源外業調查。由廣西自然博物館組成的科考團隊，在保護區銀杉管理站片區海拔約760米的闊葉林帶開展野外調查時，意外捕獲到這種穴居型小型無毒蛇類。經形態學觀察、分子生物學分析等多學科綜合鑒定，確認其為未被記載的新物種，并命名為“廣西兩頭蛇”。

The species was discovered during a biodiversity survey in a local nature reserve, where a research team from the Natural History Museum of Guangxi collected the small, non-venomous snake in a broadleaf forest. Morphological and molecular analyses later confirmed it as a previously unidentified species, now named Calamaria incredibilis sp nov, or the Guangxi reed snake.

據科考團隊介紹，廣西兩頭蛇體型纖細，成體體長僅約22厘米，背部呈棕褐色，分布著七條斷續的暗色縱紋，鱗片邊緣的深色暈染形成別致的網狀圖案，外形極具辨識度。作為典型的半穴居蛇類，它行動遲緩、性情溫順，無毒性且不具攻擊性，喜好晝伏夜出，常潛藏于枯枝落葉層、腐殖土或石縫中，以蚯蚓、昆蟲幼蟲為主要食物。其最特別的習性是遇到驚擾時，會將身體盤成“8”字形，或豎起鈍圓的尾尖偽裝成頭部，“兩頭蛇”的名稱也由此而來。

Researchers said the slender snake grows to about 22 centimeters in length, with a brownish body marked by broken dark stripes and distinctive net-like patterns along its scales. Mild and non-venomous, it is a slow-moving, semi-burrowing species that feeds mainly on earthworms and insect larvae. When threatened, it curls into a figure-eight shape or raises its rounded tail to mimic a head, giving rise to its Chinese name, Guangxi Liangtoushe, meaning "two-headed snake".

圖為廣西新發現物種——廣西兩頭蛇。來源：新華社

廣西兩頭蛇的發現，是繼2026年初全球第9000種兩棲動物“花坪掌突蟾”之后，花坪自然保護區一年內揭曉的第二個新物種。該發現不僅豐富了我國兩棲爬行類動物物種名錄，為兩頭蛇屬的系統演化研究提供了關鍵素材，更印證了花坪保護區在生物多樣性保護中的重要地位，體現了桂北原始森林作為“物種基因庫”的獨特魅力。

Scientists said the discovery provides fresh insight into the evolution of this snake group and highlights the rich biodiversity of northern Guangxi's old-growth forests.

來源： 新華社

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