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  • World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes

    World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes


    The world’s smallest snake has been rediscovered in Barbados, 20 years after its last sighting.

    The Barbados threadsnake, which had been feared extinct, was rediscovered under a rock in the centre of the island during an ecological survey in March by the environment ministry and the conservation organisation Re:wild.

    The reptile can reach up to 10cm in length when it is fully grown and is as thin as a strand of spaghetti. It had been on a global list of 4,800 plants, animals and fungi species that have been lost to science.

    The rarity of the snake is a concern for scientists. Connor Blades, a project officer for the environment ministry, said: “If the threadsnake population is not very dense, I am worried about their ability to find mates, particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.”

    Blades and Justin Springer, the Caribbean programme officer at Re:wild, had been looking for the threadsnake and several other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of a conservation project.

    During the survey in March, Springer said he jokingly told Blade: “I smell a threadsnake,” while turning over a rock trapped under a tree root. And there it was.

    “When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don’t see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,” Springer said.

    Springer and Blade were delighted to rediscover the creature. Photograph: Connor Blades

    Blades took the snake to the University of the West Indies where examination under a microscope revealed the pale orange lines running across its body and the scale on its nose that confirmed it was what they were looking for.

    The first sighting of the Barbados threadsnake was in 1889, and there have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since.

    The threadsnake reproduces sexually and the females lay only one egg at a time, unlike some other reptiles that can produce fertile eggs without mating.

    With 98% of the island’s forest having been cleared for agriculture since it was colonised more than 500 years ago, conservationists are concerned for the reptile’s extinction from habitat destruction and invasive species.

    “The threadsnake’s rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection,” said Springer. “Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.”



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  • World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes

    World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes


    The world’s smallest snake has been rediscovered in Barbados, 20 years after its last sighting.

    The Barbados threadsnake, which had been feared extinct, was rediscovered under a rock in the centre of the island during an ecological survey in March by the environment ministry and the conservation organisation Re:wild.

    The reptile can reach up to 10cm in length when it is fully grown and is as thin as a strand of spaghetti. It had been on a global list of 4,800 plants, animals and fungi species that have been lost to science.

    The rarity of the snake is a concern for scientists. Connor Blades, a project officer for the environment ministry, said: “If the threadsnake population is not very dense, I am worried about their ability to find mates, particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.”

    Blades and Justin Springer, the Caribbean programme officer at Re:wild, had been looking for the threadsnake and several other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of a conservation project.

    During the survey in March, Springer said he jokingly told Blade: “I smell a threadsnake,” while turning over a rock trapped under a tree root. And there it was.

    “When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don’t see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,” Springer said.

    Springer and Blade were delighted to rediscover the creature. Photograph: Connor Blades

    Blades took the snake to the University of the West Indies where examination under a microscope revealed the pale orange lines running across its body and the scale on its nose that confirmed it was what they were looking for.

    The first sighting of the Barbados threadsnake was in 1889, and there have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since.

    The threadsnake reproduces sexually and the females lay only one egg at a time, unlike some other reptiles that can produce fertile eggs without mating.

    With 98% of the island’s forest having been cleared for agriculture since it was colonised more than 500 years ago, conservationists are concerned for the reptile’s extinction from habitat destruction and invasive species.

    “The threadsnake’s rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection,” said Springer. “Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.”



    Source link

  • World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes

    World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes


    The world’s smallest snake has been rediscovered in Barbados, 20 years after its last sighting.

    The Barbados threadsnake, which had been feared extinct, was rediscovered under a rock in the centre of the island during an ecological survey in March by the environment ministry and the conservation organisation Re:wild.

    The reptile can reach up to 10cm in length when it is fully grown and is as thin as a strand of spaghetti. It had been on a global list of 4,800 plants, animals and fungi species that have been lost to science.

    The rarity of the snake is a concern for scientists. Connor Blades, a project officer for the environment ministry, said: “If the threadsnake population is not very dense, I am worried about their ability to find mates, particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.”

    Blades and Justin Springer, the Caribbean programme officer at Re:wild, had been looking for the threadsnake and several other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of a conservation project.

    During the survey in March, Springer said he jokingly told Blade: “I smell a threadsnake,” while turning over a rock trapped under a tree root. And there it was.

    “When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don’t see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,” Springer said.

    Springer and Blade were delighted to rediscover the creature. Photograph: Connor Blades

    Blades took the snake to the University of the West Indies where examination under a microscope revealed the pale orange lines running across its body and the scale on its nose that confirmed it was what they were looking for.

    The first sighting of the Barbados threadsnake was in 1889, and there have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since.

    The threadsnake reproduces sexually and the females lay only one egg at a time, unlike some other reptiles that can produce fertile eggs without mating.

    With 98% of the island’s forest having been cleared for agriculture since it was colonised more than 500 years ago, conservationists are concerned for the reptile’s extinction from habitat destruction and invasive species.

    “The threadsnake’s rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection,” said Springer. “Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.”



    Source link

  • World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes

    World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes


    The world’s smallest snake has been rediscovered in Barbados, 20 years after its last sighting.

    The Barbados threadsnake, which had been feared extinct, was rediscovered under a rock in the centre of the island during an ecological survey in March by the environment ministry and the conservation organisation Re:wild.

    The reptile can reach up to 10cm in length when it is fully grown and is as thin as a strand of spaghetti. It had been on a global list of 4,800 plants, animals and fungi species that have been lost to science.

    The rarity of the snake is a concern for scientists. Connor Blades, a project officer for the environment ministry, said: “If the threadsnake population is not very dense, I am worried about their ability to find mates, particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.”

    Blades and Justin Springer, the Caribbean programme officer at Re:wild, had been looking for the threadsnake and several other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of a conservation project.

    During the survey in March, Springer said he jokingly told Blade: “I smell a threadsnake,” while turning over a rock trapped under a tree root. And there it was.

    “When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don’t see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,” Springer said.

    Springer and Blade were delighted to rediscover the creature. Photograph: Connor Blades

    Blades took the snake to the University of the West Indies where examination under a microscope revealed the pale orange lines running across its body and the scale on its nose that confirmed it was what they were looking for.

    The first sighting of the Barbados threadsnake was in 1889, and there have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since.

    The threadsnake reproduces sexually and the females lay only one egg at a time, unlike some other reptiles that can produce fertile eggs without mating.

    With 98% of the island’s forest having been cleared for agriculture since it was colonised more than 500 years ago, conservationists are concerned for the reptile’s extinction from habitat destruction and invasive species.

    “The threadsnake’s rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection,” said Springer. “Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.”



    Source link

  • World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes

    World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes


    The world’s smallest snake has been rediscovered in Barbados, 20 years after its last sighting.

    The Barbados threadsnake, which had been feared extinct, was rediscovered under a rock in the centre of the island during an ecological survey in March by the environment ministry and the conservation organisation Re:wild.

    The reptile can reach up to 10cm in length when it is fully grown and is as thin as a strand of spaghetti. It had been on a global list of 4,800 plants, animals and fungi species that have been lost to science.

    The rarity of the snake is a concern for scientists. Connor Blades, a project officer for the environment ministry, said: “If the threadsnake population is not very dense, I am worried about their ability to find mates, particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.”

    Blades and Justin Springer, the Caribbean programme officer at Re:wild, had been looking for the threadsnake and several other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of a conservation project.

    During the survey in March, Springer said he jokingly told Blade: “I smell a threadsnake,” while turning over a rock trapped under a tree root. And there it was.

    “When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don’t see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,” Springer said.

    Springer and Blade were delighted to rediscover the creature. Photograph: Connor Blades

    Blades took the snake to the University of the West Indies where examination under a microscope revealed the pale orange lines running across its body and the scale on its nose that confirmed it was what they were looking for.

    The first sighting of the Barbados threadsnake was in 1889, and there have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since.

    The threadsnake reproduces sexually and the females lay only one egg at a time, unlike some other reptiles that can produce fertile eggs without mating.

    With 98% of the island’s forest having been cleared for agriculture since it was colonised more than 500 years ago, conservationists are concerned for the reptile’s extinction from habitat destruction and invasive species.

    “The threadsnake’s rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection,” said Springer. “Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.”



    Source link

  • World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes

    World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes


    The world’s smallest snake has been rediscovered in Barbados, 20 years after its last sighting.

    The Barbados threadsnake, which had been feared extinct, was rediscovered under a rock in the centre of the island during an ecological survey in March by the environment ministry and the conservation organisation Re:wild.

    The reptile can reach up to 10cm in length when it is fully grown and is as thin as a strand of spaghetti. It had been on a global list of 4,800 plants, animals and fungi species that have been lost to science.

    The rarity of the snake is a concern for scientists. Connor Blades, a project officer for the environment ministry, said: “If the threadsnake population is not very dense, I am worried about their ability to find mates, particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.”

    Blades and Justin Springer, the Caribbean programme officer at Re:wild, had been looking for the threadsnake and several other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of a conservation project.

    During the survey in March, Springer said he jokingly told Blade: “I smell a threadsnake,” while turning over a rock trapped under a tree root. And there it was.

    “When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don’t see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,” Springer said.

    Springer and Blade were delighted to rediscover the creature. Photograph: Connor Blades

    Blades took the snake to the University of the West Indies where examination under a microscope revealed the pale orange lines running across its body and the scale on its nose that confirmed it was what they were looking for.

    The first sighting of the Barbados threadsnake was in 1889, and there have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since.

    The threadsnake reproduces sexually and the females lay only one egg at a time, unlike some other reptiles that can produce fertile eggs without mating.

    With 98% of the island’s forest having been cleared for agriculture since it was colonised more than 500 years ago, conservationists are concerned for the reptile’s extinction from habitat destruction and invasive species.

    “The threadsnake’s rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection,” said Springer. “Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.”



    Source link

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  • World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes

    World’s smallest snake rediscovered in Barbados 20 years after last sighting | Snakes


    The world’s smallest snake has been rediscovered in Barbados, 20 years after its last sighting.

    The Barbados threadsnake, which had been feared extinct, was rediscovered under a rock in the centre of the island during an ecological survey in March by the environment ministry and the conservation organisation Re:wild.

    The reptile can reach up to 10cm in length when it is fully grown and is as thin as a strand of spaghetti. It had been on a global list of 4,800 plants, animals and fungi species that have been lost to science.

    The rarity of the snake is a concern for scientists. Connor Blades, a project officer for the environment ministry, said: “If the threadsnake population is not very dense, I am worried about their ability to find mates, particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.”

    Blades and Justin Springer, the Caribbean programme officer at Re:wild, had been looking for the threadsnake and several other endemic reptiles for more than a year as part of a conservation project.

    During the survey in March, Springer said he jokingly told Blade: “I smell a threadsnake,” while turning over a rock trapped under a tree root. And there it was.

    “When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don’t see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,” Springer said.

    Springer and Blade were delighted to rediscover the creature. Photograph: Connor Blades

    Blades took the snake to the University of the West Indies where examination under a microscope revealed the pale orange lines running across its body and the scale on its nose that confirmed it was what they were looking for.

    The first sighting of the Barbados threadsnake was in 1889, and there have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since.

    The threadsnake reproduces sexually and the females lay only one egg at a time, unlike some other reptiles that can produce fertile eggs without mating.

    With 98% of the island’s forest having been cleared for agriculture since it was colonised more than 500 years ago, conservationists are concerned for the reptile’s extinction from habitat destruction and invasive species.

    “The threadsnake’s rediscovery is also a call to all of us as Barbadians that forests in Barbados are very special and need protection,” said Springer. “Not just for the threadsnake, but for other species as well. For plants, animals and our heritage.”



    Source link

  • Edouard Ngaïssona and Alfred Yekatom jailed for war crimes in Central African Republic

    Edouard Ngaïssona and Alfred Yekatom jailed for war crimes in Central African Republic


    AFP A head and shoulders image of Edouard Ngaïssona. His is wearing a blue jacket and a tiny bit of a yellow collar can be seen.AFP

    Edouard Ngaïssona was elected to the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football in February 2018.

    The former head of the Central African Republic (CAR) football federation, Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, has been found guilty of committing 28 war crimes and crimes against humanity by judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    He was accused, alongside Alfred Yekatom, of co-ordinating attacks against the country’s Muslim population in 2013-14.

    Yekatom was found guilty of 20 charges. The judges gave their verdict after a trial lasting almost four years involving more than 170 witnesses and nearly 20,000 items of evidence.

    Ngaïssona was sentenced to 12 years and Yekatom 15 years.

    Violence has gripped the CAR for much of the past decade, but a recent peace deal led to the dissolution of two rebel groups this month.

    CAR was plunged into turmoil in 2013 when predominately Muslim rebels from the Séléka group seized power in the majority Christian country.

    A band of mostly Christian militias, called the anti-Balaka, rose up to counter Séléka after then-President François Bozizé was ousted.

    Ngaïssona and Yekatom were convicted of numerous crimes, including murder, torture and persecuting a religious group.

    The prosecution set out the alleged system of command, saying Ngaïssona provided funds and instructions to anti-Balaka groups in 2013 and 2014.

    Yekatom, nicknamed Rambo, was a commander who allegedly led fighters into the capital, Bangui, on 5 December 2013 where civilians were slaughtered.

    The prosecution said the pair’s strategy was to make all Muslims their target, describing them as “enemies of the nation”.

    Yekatom authorised his fighters to attack Muslim civilians, including to slit throats, cut off ears and bury people alive, the prosecution alleged.

    Asked to enter a plea at the start of the trial, both men rejected all the charges.

    Media reports at the time indicates that at least 1,000 people were killed in tit-for-tat clashes in Bangui in December 2013, and half the city’s population fled in that month alone.

    Who is Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona?

    He was the self-declared political co-ordinator of anti-Balaka forces.

    Ngaïssona was barred from running for CAR president in 2015 because of his alleged role in the atrocities.

    He is a former head of the CAR’s football federation and briefly served as sports minister before being elected to the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) in February 2018.

    His appointment was criticised by several human rights groups.

    “If the allegations were true, I wouldn’t be here today,” he told AFP news agency at the time. “[I don’t] mix politics and sport – everything I’ve done has been for the good of my country.”

    French authorities arrested him in December 2018 and he was transferred to the ICC in January 2019.

    Who is Alfred Yekatom?

    Yekatom was elected as an MP in 2016, despite being subject to UN sanctions.

    He was arrested in October 2018 after he fired a gun in parliament, then ran away, after a row with a fellow MP.

    His extradition to the ICC was the first from CAR.

    The International Federation for Human Rights (known by its French acronym FIDH) said it signalled the authorities there were committed to fighting impunity.

    More about CAR from the BBC:

    Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News AfricaGetty Images/BBC



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  • Edouard Ngaïssona and Alfred Yekatom jailed for war crimes in Central African Republic

    Edouard Ngaïssona and Alfred Yekatom jailed for war crimes in Central African Republic


    AFP A head and shoulders image of Edouard Ngaïssona. His is wearing a blue jacket and a tiny bit of a yellow collar can be seen.AFP

    Edouard Ngaïssona was elected to the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football in February 2018.

    The former head of the Central African Republic (CAR) football federation, Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, has been found guilty of committing 28 war crimes and crimes against humanity by judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    He was accused, alongside Alfred Yekatom, of co-ordinating attacks against the country’s Muslim population in 2013-14.

    Yekatom was found guilty of 20 charges. The judges gave their verdict after a trial lasting almost four years involving more than 170 witnesses and nearly 20,000 items of evidence.

    Ngaïssona was sentenced to 12 years and Yekatom 15 years.

    Violence has gripped the CAR for much of the past decade, but a recent peace deal led to the dissolution of two rebel groups this month.

    CAR was plunged into turmoil in 2013 when predominately Muslim rebels from the Séléka group seized power in the majority Christian country.

    A band of mostly Christian militias, called the anti-Balaka, rose up to counter Séléka after then-President François Bozizé was ousted.

    Ngaïssona and Yekatom were convicted of numerous crimes, including murder, torture and persecuting a religious group.

    The prosecution set out the alleged system of command, saying Ngaïssona provided funds and instructions to anti-Balaka groups in 2013 and 2014.

    Yekatom, nicknamed Rambo, was a commander who allegedly led fighters into the capital, Bangui, on 5 December 2013 where civilians were slaughtered.

    The prosecution said the pair’s strategy was to make all Muslims their target, describing them as “enemies of the nation”.

    Yekatom authorised his fighters to attack Muslim civilians, including to slit throats, cut off ears and bury people alive, the prosecution alleged.

    Asked to enter a plea at the start of the trial, both men rejected all the charges.

    Media reports at the time indicates that at least 1,000 people were killed in tit-for-tat clashes in Bangui in December 2013, and half the city’s population fled in that month alone.

    Who is Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona?

    He was the self-declared political co-ordinator of anti-Balaka forces.

    Ngaïssona was barred from running for CAR president in 2015 because of his alleged role in the atrocities.

    He is a former head of the CAR’s football federation and briefly served as sports minister before being elected to the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) in February 2018.

    His appointment was criticised by several human rights groups.

    “If the allegations were true, I wouldn’t be here today,” he told AFP news agency at the time. “[I don’t] mix politics and sport – everything I’ve done has been for the good of my country.”

    French authorities arrested him in December 2018 and he was transferred to the ICC in January 2019.

    Who is Alfred Yekatom?

    Yekatom was elected as an MP in 2016, despite being subject to UN sanctions.

    He was arrested in October 2018 after he fired a gun in parliament, then ran away, after a row with a fellow MP.

    His extradition to the ICC was the first from CAR.

    The International Federation for Human Rights (known by its French acronym FIDH) said it signalled the authorities there were committed to fighting impunity.

    More about CAR from the BBC:

    Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News AfricaGetty Images/BBC



    Source link

  • Edouard Ngaïssona and Alfred Yekatom jailed for war crimes in Central African Republic

    Edouard Ngaïssona and Alfred Yekatom jailed for war crimes in Central African Republic


    AFP A head and shoulders image of Edouard Ngaïssona. His is wearing a blue jacket and a tiny bit of a yellow collar can be seen.AFP

    Edouard Ngaïssona was elected to the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football in February 2018.

    The former head of the Central African Republic (CAR) football federation, Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, has been found guilty of committing 28 war crimes and crimes against humanity by judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    He was accused, alongside Alfred Yekatom, of co-ordinating attacks against the country’s Muslim population in 2013-14.

    Yekatom, nicknamed Rambo, was found guilty of 20 charges. The judges gave their verdict after a trial lasting almost four years involving more than 170 witnesses and nearly 20,000 items of evidence.

    Ngaïssona was sentenced to 12 years and Yekatom 15 years.

    Violence has gripped the CAR for much of the past decade, but a recent peace deal led to the dissolution of two rebel groups this month.

    CAR was plunged into turmoil in 2013 when predominately Muslim rebels from the Séléka group seized power in the majority Christian country.

    A band of mostly Christian militias, called the anti-Balaka, rose up to counter Séléka after then-President François Bozizé was ousted.

    Ngaïssona and Yekatom were convicted of numerous crimes, including murder, torture and persecuting a religious group.

    Ngaïssona was acquitted of rape, while Yekatom was cleared of enlisting children as soldiers.

    Both men had denied all charges.

    The prosecution set out the alleged system of command, saying Ngaïssona provided funds and instructions to anti-Balaka groups in 2013 and 2014.

    Yekatom was a commander who allegedly led fighters into the capital, Bangui, on 5 December 2013 where civilians were slaughtered.

    The prosecution said the pair’s strategy was to make all Muslims their target, describing them as “enemies of the nation”.

    Yekatom authorised his fighters to attack Muslim civilians, including to slit throats, cut off ears and bury people alive, the prosecution alleged.

    Asked to enter a plea at the start of the trial, both men rejected all the charges.

    Media reports at the time indicates that at least 1,000 people were killed in tit-for-tat clashes in Bangui in December 2013, and half the city’s population fled in that month alone.

    Who is Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona?

    He was the self-declared political co-ordinator of anti-Balaka forces.

    Ngaïssona was barred from running for CAR president in 2015 because of his alleged role in the atrocities.

    He is a former head of the CAR’s football federation and briefly served as sports minister before being elected to the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) in February 2018.

    His appointment was criticised by several human rights groups.

    “If the allegations were true, I wouldn’t be here today,” he told AFP news agency at the time. “[I don’t] mix politics and sport – everything I’ve done has been for the good of my country.”

    French authorities arrested him in December 2018 and he was transferred to the ICC in January 2019.

    Who is Alfred Yekatom?

    Yekatom was elected as an MP in 2016, despite being subject to UN sanctions.

    He was arrested in October 2018 after he fired a gun in parliament, then ran away, after a row with a fellow MP.

    His extradition to the ICC was the first from CAR.

    The International Federation for Human Rights (known by its French acronym FIDH) said it signalled the authorities there were committed to fighting impunity.

    More about CAR from the BBC:

    Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News AfricaGetty Images/BBC



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