Whether you love snakes or really can't stand them, this is pretty devastating news. Especially if you're a snake. Because a report published today by Scientific Advances reveals the distinct possibility that all snakes everywhere might die out. Yes, even the ones on that motherfucking plane. Obviously they didn't use language like that in the report.
Anyway, it turns out that there's a highly infectious disease - a fungal infection caused by a pathogen called Ophidiomyces ophidiodiicola - that basically attacks the afflicted snake's skin.
If the snake is able to moult quickly enough - and it can apparently try to speed up the process by spending more time in the sun - it can, literally, shed the disease from its body.
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Credit: PA
The downside of the extra moulting is that it leaves the snake more vulnerable to predators. And even then, it's no guarantee that moulting will stop the situation from becoming fatal. Which very much sounds like a lose-lose situation.
The condition is known to only affect a handful of snakes in the US and Europe so far, but fears are that it may soon become a global pandemic. Which would have devastating consequences for serpents all around the world.
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But that wouldn't be the only consequence. Snakes, according to Frank Burbrink, the lead author of the report, are an integral part of the world's ecosystem, as he explained to Gizmodo.
"As midlevel predators, snakes may be an integral part of food webs consuming a large number of rodents and other animals and they themselves being consumed by larger mammalian and avian predators," he said.
"Losing them in any population will certainly be to the detriment of a healthy ecosystem for other organisms and humans."
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Credit: PA
Snake Fungal Disease - for it has a very direct and to-the-point name - has already caused population decreases (in snakes, not people) in eastern parts of the US and has spread to Europe. Probably from that damn plane. Seriously, though, three different species have been affected in Europe so far, so scientists are keeping an eye on how it develops.
Burbrink also wrote in a statement how the study's fears about how far the infection could spread are exaggerated for the sake of precaution.
"This really is the worst-case scenario. Our study suggests that first responders shouldn't just be looking for certain types of snakes that have this disease, but at the whole community. All snakes could become infected, or already are infected."
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Let's hope the poor creatures are here to stay for a little while longer.
Words: Mischa Pearlman
Topics: World News, Snakes, Animals