Scientists in China are expecting the eggs of an extremely rare snake to hatch this week.
The reptile, known as the ‘pearl-branded rat snake’, has exquisite patterns shaped like pearl necklaces around its body, according to Ding Li, a lead researcher, who called it ‘the most beautiful snake in the world’.
The species is so rare that less than 20 of them have been recorded after the snake was discovered in Sichuan, China, in 1929.
Ding Li, a Chinese researcher, claimed the pearl-branded rat snake is the most beautiful snake in the world. Mr Ding and his team have studied the rare reptile species for three years
The female snake successfully conceived this year and laid three eggs on July 21 at a scientific centre in Sichuan. The eggs are expected to hatch this week, according to Mr Ding
The research project was carried out by Chengdu Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan Academy of Forestry and China West Normal University.
Mr Ding, 48, from Chengdu Institute of Biology, said he and his colleagues found a male and female pearl-branded rat snake in a tiny crack on a mountain in the Laba River Nature Reserve in 2014.
They spent three years trying to breed the species artificially as it was challenging for them to create a natural environment to encourage them to mate in the scientific centre.
Mr Ding said it took him and his team around two years to figure out the ideal temperature and brightness for the snakes.
Mr Ding said he and his colleagues found a male and female pearl-branded rat snake in a tiny crack on a mountain in the Laba River Nature Reserve in 2014. They have studied them since
The female snake successfully conceived this year and laid three eggs on July 21.
The team are expecting the eggs to hatch this week, and so far all statistics show the baby snakes are growing healthily in the eggs, according to Mr Ding.
Native to China, pearl-branded rat snake was discovered in Ya’an in 1929 by American zoologist Leonhard Stejneger.
Living between the altitudes of 1,500 and 2,700 metres (4,921 and 8,858 feet) in the Sichuan Province of China, the pearl-branded rat snake has a similar habitat to the giant panda.
The first picture of the non-venomous snake was only published in 2010 – more than eight decades after the species was established.
The rare picture shows one pearl-branded rat snake eating its food at the centre in Sichuan
Mr Ding said the reptile prefers to live in the sunny and wind-free river valleys and an adult pearl-branded rat snake could grow up to 120cm (four feet) long.
Most pearl-branded rat snake are between 80cm to 100cm long (2.6 to 3.3 feet).
In his explaining his motivation of the project, Mr Ding said: ‘Many rare snakes native to China were previously bred by overseas scientists after being smuggled abroad.’
‘We want to breed the pearl-branded rat snake so that we can research into the special species by ourselves. It’s the right thing to do.’
Mr Ding said he and his team would carry on observing and researching the pearl-branded rat snakes in the foreseeable future.