An oriental odd-tooth snake, typically referred to as a “phantom snake” in Japan as a result of it’s hardly ever seen, has been found within the nation’s west.
The snake, recognized for its dappled black and grey colours, was discovered on the 1,218-meter Mount Oyorogi straddling Hiroshima and Shimane prefectures.
Oriental odd-tooth snakes, which aren’t venomous, feed on different snakes and lizards. Since they’re nocturnal, they’re apparently hardly ever seen. They are designated by the Shimane Prefectural Government as a near-threatened species.
According to the Shimane Prefecture Mountainous Region Research Center and the Iinan Tourism Association within the prefecture, climbers had not reported any sightings of the snakes in recent years.
The oriental odd-tooth snake’s habitat in Shimane Prefecture is alleged to be dwindling. Komei Minagi, a researcher on the Shimane Nature Museum of Mt. Sanbe (Sahimel) within the Shimane Prefecture metropolis of Oda, suggested, “Even in the event you come throughout one, we wish you to go away it alone.”
(Japanese authentic by Naoki Fuchiwaki, Onomichi Local Bureau)
