Orange-eyed creature seen leaving forest in Kosovo in first-of-its-kind sighting
Near a forest of southern Kosovo, an orange-eyed creature emerged from the trees and moved along the ground toward an open area. Something about it caught the attention of nearby scientists — and for good reason.
It turned out to be a first-of-its-kind sighting.
A team of biologists visited several sites near the Kosovo-North Macedonia border in 2018 “during fieldwork focused on invertebrates,” according to a study published Sept. 12 in the peer-reviewed journal Herpetozoa.
During their surveys, researchers noticed seven unfamiliar-looking snakes, the study said. Intrigued, they caught and photographed three of these snakes then “immediately released” the animals.
After analyzing their photos and consulting other records, researchers realized they’d documented three snake species in Kosovo for the first time.
The first new record was of a Dahl’s whip snake, or Platyceps najadum, the study said. A photo shows the pale yellow-orange snake “found in grass near the forest.”
The second new record was of the European cat snake, or Telescopus fallax, researchers said. The team observed five of these blotchy brown snakes “under rocks in a dry, open, and stony area” but only photographed one.
The third new record was of the European ratsnake, or Zamenis situla, the study said. A photo shows the orange-eyed snake seen “moving from the forest to a dry, open, and stony area.”
Researchers described the new records as “not surprising” because all three snake species had been found in countries bordering Kosovo.
Only one of the newly documented species, the European cat snake, is considered “mildly venomous,” the study said. Researchers concluded that overall “no new dangerously venomous snakes are recorded for Kosovo.”
Despite the new sightings, Kosovo still “has a lower total of reptile species than its neighboring countries,” researchers said. They “suspect that further field research may reveal more species in the country that are known to occur in one or more of these neighboring countries.”
Kosovo, a nation in the Balkans, declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Its sovereignty remains partially disputed but has been recognized by more than 100 countries, including the United States. It borders Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
The research team included Linda Grapci-Kotori, Donard Geci, Halil Ibrahimi, Astrit Bilalli, Milaim Musliu and Danniella Sherwood.
