New to Nature No 46: Liophidium pattoni

Among the 90 kinds of snakes found in Madagascar, Liophidium pattoni joins Stenophis citrinus as the second brightly coloured one. Because the eight previously known species of Malagasy Liophidium are overall dorsally brownish to black in colour, the brilliant red, blue and yellow markings of L pattoni are shockingly beautiful. The 416mm-long snake does not appear to be aggressive or poisonous. One idea to explain its colours is that it may mimic distasteful millipedes. Quentin Wheeler is director of the International Institute for Species Exploration, Arizona State University