How a newly classified species of snake was discovered in Saudi Arabia’s ancient AlUla oasis

DHAHRAN: Scientists working in the ancient oasis of AlUla in northwestern Saudi Arabia were thrilled earlier this year to discover a new species of snake. With its striking red hue and elegant black frill, the reptile is perfectly adapted to blend in with the sand and rock of the Hejaz.

This charismatic new species, fortunately non-venomous, was discovered by Laszlo Patko, who for the past two years has worked as Head of Applied Research at the Royal Commission for AlUla, inventorying the biodiversity of the region.

“The snake species Rhynchocalamus hejazicus is not only new to the region or the country, but also to science,” the Hungarian academic 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, the University of Suez in Egypt, the University of Aden in Yemen, and the Natural History Collective Ventures in Malaysia.

Together with his Saudi, Czech and Portuguese colleagues, Patko compiled the results in a paper. Within a few months, it was published in the prestigious, peer-reviewed international life sciences journal Zoosystematics and evolution.

“It was very, very fast, because it was a complete, high-quality paper with substantial scientific results,” Patko said. “It was quickly accepted and published.

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

The published paper describes the new species as “a small, secretive snake with distinctive coloration and a melanistic form. The new species is found in the northwestern Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and fills much of the current distribution gap for the genus in the Arabian Peninsula.”

Stephen Browne, vice president of wildlife and natural heritage at the RCU, said the discovery of this new species demonstrates the critical importance of the Kingdom's conservation efforts.

“This discovery is not simply about cataloging a new species; it reflects the ongoing commitment to safeguarding AlUla's thriving and diverse ecosystems,” Browne said in a statement. “It is a symbol of our dedication to conserving this unique sanctuary.

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

“This discovery is fundamental to understanding the ecological dynamics of the region and the adaptation strategies of desert wildlife, strengthening AlUla’s reputation as a sanctuary for both historical and natural treasures,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The project that led to the snake's discovery began with a regional wildlife inventory, launched in November 2022, focused on documenting the area's biodiversity.

“We've never had this kind of rigorous collection of scientific knowledge before,” Patko said. “As part of this project, we 'accidentally' found this new species.

“It was an accident in the sense that we carefully examined all our nature reserves and described all the species we could find. We knew that some species existed in the reserve, but we didn't know the exact number or where.”

Scientists had a hunch that the region might be home to new species. Between 2017 and 2022, geckos and snakes had been observed in the area, but had never been collected and described in a rigorous manner. The inventory offered the perfect opportunity to fill in these gaps.

In 2023, the team spent time in the desert observing the animals based on morphology, including studying their external features, color, scale structure, and DNA.

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

“You wake 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 really nice way to get evidence of why it's important to be in the field.”

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

“Harrat Khaybar is mostly black and gray because of the basalt and old volcanic activity,” Patko said. “The first individual we found was melanistic, a completely black snake.”

The newly discovered snake, by contrast, is a vibrant red, having evolved to blend in with AlUla’s distinctive color palette of red, orange, and yellow. “It was very obvious that this was indeed a new species,” Patko said.

Like many desert dwellers, the snake is nocturnal. “During the day, because of the very hot climate, Rhynchocalamus hejazicus probably hides under rocks,” Patko said. “At night, they come out to hunt invertebrates, small insects.”

And despite having tiny fangs to strike prey, the snake doesn't carry venom. It's 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, there are fewer than 20 known snake species in AlUla, perhaps closer to 18. There is still much to learn about this latest addition to the reptile community.

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

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

One thing Patko does believe is clear, however, is AlUla's value as a thriving wildlife habitat, making conservation efforts in the region even more important in the interests of science and biodiversity.

“What is truly remarkable about this story is how the deserts of AlUla hide these hidden gems,” he said.