Conservationists confirm that the Saint
Lucia racer is the world's rarest species of snake, with fewer than 18
surviving in the wild. Populations of the small, non-venomous snake
suffered rapid declines after mongooses were introduced from India in
the late 19th Century. They were actually declared extinct in 1936 but
an individual was discovered in 1973. To fully understand the state of
the population, an international team of researchers undertook a five
month study on the Caribbean island nation. They micro-chipped 11 snakes
and are now investigating how to protect the species. "It was a huge
relief to confirm that a population of the racer still survives," said
Matthew Morton, Eastern Caribbean Programme Manager for Durrell Wildlife
Conservation Trust who were involved in the research, "but that relief
is tempered by the knowledge of how close we still are to losing it
forever."
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