(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — As the Year of the Snake begins, researchers at the Field Museum are reclassifying dozens of king cobra specimens after distinct different species were recently identified.
The world's longest venomous snake has long been represented by a single species, until now.
"This specimen is too large to be accommodated in one of these standard jars,” Field Museum collections manager Chun Kamei says as she unveils an 11-foot long king cobra specimen that has become somewhat of a celebrity.
"This specimen was used by the researchers in officially describing the species and giving it a new name, the ophiophagus salvatana."
This Luzon cobra is one of four new species scientists identified late last year. Now, researchers are re-classifying the more than two dozen snakes that have yet to be verified.
"All of our 37 cobra specimens have been living under one name, ophiophagus hannah, but now we have definitely three, so what I will be doing is taking the specimens out, putting it in a different jar species wise and updating the labels."
Kamei says it's exciting work that proves how relevant and valid these specimens, many that were collected decades ago, still are.
"For a new species of such large and charismatic animals is pretty rare, and this just goes to show how valuable our museum is, our collection is."
Research associate Stephen Mahony says this news is important because it changes the conservation status of these animals.
"It basically means we need to re-evaluate these four species to know determine what are their actual extinction risks."
He says this is also important for producing anti-venom that works on each species.
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