Hikers scare ‘secretive' creature in China forest — and rediscover rare species
Nearby scientists spotted the rare animal — and rediscovered a species.
A team of researchers hiked into the Wuyishan Mountains of Fujian Province in 2018 as part of a project to survey reptile diversity, according to a study published July 23 in the peer-reviewed Biodiversity Data Journal.
While walking around a 'sunny hillside' one morning, researchers passed by a snake 'hiding under the dead leaves' and scared it out, the study said. Intrigued, they caught the snake and, after taking a closer look, realized they'd rediscovered a poorly known species: Plagiopholis styani, or the Chinese mountain snake.
Chinese mountain snakes were first discovered in 1899 in Fujian Province but had 'rarely' been seen there ever since, researchers said. In general, the species belongs to a 'rarely studied' group of snakes that are widespread across Asia but 'are not easily encountered due to their secretive habits.'
A photo shows the Chinese mountain snake found in Fujian in 2018. It measured about 16 inches and had a 'short' body and tail, the study said. Overall, it was 'greyish-brown with some small black spots.'
Researchers saw the snake crawling 'out from under the dead leaves' and described it as 'slow and easy to catch.'
'Previously, Plagiopholis styani was considered to be widely distributed in southern China,' but a DNA analysis of the newfound specimen suggested it 'may only be distributed in Fujian and neighbouring' provinces, the study said. Some of the snakes previously thought to be Chinese mountain snakes likely 'represents an undescribed species.'
The Chinese mountain snake was identified by its coloring, scale pattern and other subtle physical features, the study said.
The research team included Shuo Liu, Zengyang Luo, Xi Xiao, Caichun Peng, Dongru Zhang and Shize Li.
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Axios
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Bloomberg
8 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Alibaba Cloud Founder Sees AI Shakeup After OpenAI Hype
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Is there space, though, for new contestants to enter that race today? Uh, I would say at least for A.I., it's a marathon because I think and nobody could really see, you know, if it's an hour hour journey, it is staffing in the very beginning. Okay? So in that sense, you know, in a any short term way is not important and it's not like, you know, it. Again, I will say it, this a very important judgment. All you have to I think we have to make that a judgment is, you know, whether any advantage you have today is a barrier for other people to catch up. You okay? But but personally, I. I didn't see any advantage you have today will become the barrier for other people to catch up. Okay. It's just not early early process to not to net to next stage. Okay. And so that's why it's very exciting. Very exciting time for that. Anything that other areas stage, anything that actually everyday news things happen. It's exciting time, especially for youngsters. Okay. Yeah. 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Because the computing is so fundamental. So when we use analogy about, you know, between the electricity and a computing is me a lot of things, okay, so electricity is elastic business. It would be for another 100 years. Okay. So that's the hard part for for, for the people to really understand. So at the very beginning it is hard. Yeah. I think something that we see right now is, is certainly money that's being directed at strong talent. Yeah. And and there's stories, of course, in Silicon Valley, we see people that are getting hundreds of millions of dollars. And yeah. What do you think about that? I think it's a I don't think it's that it's the let's see. It's a typical way of doing thing. They'll get out of that. The reason very simple. You know, example, when I when I study that, that they're able to cut out, you know, the first thing I did that was in Tucson eight the first I did it to get to Silicon Valley and to try to get tenant healthcare. And and and after talking to a lot of people and realize actually we don't have much a tenant there because new. Okay yeah so and also with some of the tenants it just too expensive and too expensive basically means okay you don't know whether the cannabis is there when is high when you hired these people. So it's really about innovation. So when you're in the early stage of innovation, I don't think a tenant is a problem because you know, they have the only thing you need to do is to get the right person. Not really is expensive person because if the new business, if this is true innovation, that it basically means the tenant and nobody cares about them. Okay. And I was working working on that. So for the today, what happened for the lack of matter is because they are very much a focus on the existing success of the business and existing. It's average all the technology that's the that that's that's, that's my view. Okay. So I think we have a tremendous opportunity to look at technology nobody knows to there and these talent these are current but but these are I can't say it's cheap but but it's it's available for you. Okay. So that's really about a vision, you know, where you want to where you want to go. And there's a lot of similar scenes, you know, happened during the last 20 years. Also, whenever everybody knows that these are talent and it's better for you not to Getty. And that isn't that that's not new that's that's my that's my so like personally that I hide that's okay you now he's had it he's a leader for the king you probably met him you know when you're in Hanzo you know I presently interview him, you know, 15 years ago. Hey, we got tenant. Now he's reading the key. Yeah, but so that's, so that's, that's why there's not really any justification. Then it sounds like you think so. Yeah. 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CNBC
a day ago
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China releases AI action plan days after the U.S. as global tech race heats up
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