Researchers from the Khamai Foundation and Liberty University have identified a new species of coffee snake native to the cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador. Biologist Alejandro Arteaga first found the snake in Ecuador’s Pichincha state while looking for animals to feature in a book he was writing on Ecuadorian reptiles.

“This is the 30th species I’ve discovered out of 100 targets,” he says.

Habitat and conservation of the Tudor coffee snake

Like other coffee snakes, the Tudor coffee snake frequently inhabits coffee plantations, especially in areas where cloud forest habitat has been destroyed. It is native to the Pacific slopes of the Andes in northwestern Ecuador, where it lives between 1,000 and 1,500 m above sea level.

Although not in danger of extinction, some of their populations are expected to decline due to deforestation and large-scale mining.

The researchers hope their discovery will highlight the importance of preserving the cloud forest ecosystem and focus researchers on the human-altered habitats that surround it, such as coffee plantations and grasslands.

The new snake species’ name honors Guy Tudor, “a versatile naturalist and scientific illustrator with a deep love for birds and all animals, and for the impact he has had on the conservation of South American birds through his art.” researchers write in their recently published paper Evolutionary Systematics .

“We are trying to attract conservation funds by naming new species. It has helped us protect the Buenaventura Nature Reserve.