A 17-year-old high school student from Zhejiang Province, Hu Jiahao, aided the discovery of a new snake species, Achalinus mirabilis, after more than 40 nights of field observations in Kuocang Mountain. This marks the first new reptile species with its type locality in Zhejiang since the 20th century. Researchers praised Hu as an indispensable contributor for providing crucial specimens.
The story began on October 18, 2024, when Zhou Jiajun, an investigation expert from the Zhejiang Forest Resources Monitoring Center, and local biology enthusiast Chen Haojun discovered incomplete remains of a snake during a survey in the Kuocang Mountains. The snake was slender, measuring 20-30 centimeters in length, with a brown to dark brown body that differed from common species. Based on their professional experience, they recognized its uniqueness.
High school student Hu Jiahao, who has spent much of his free time since childhood hiking in the mountains to observe wildlife, expressed his hope to contribute by finding more complete specimens. He connected with Zhou through online platforms, where Zhou is known by the username 'Zhou Yuhei' and works at the Zhejiang Forest Resources Monitoring Center.
During the summer vacation of 2025, Hu began searching for the snake in the Kuocang Mountains. After completing his daily studies, he would pack professional photography gear and protective equipment, travel nearly 100 kilometers round-trip to the mountains, and look for traces of the snake. Initially, following the conventional wisdom that snakes are more active after rain, Hu repeatedly searched the mountains after rainfall but found nothing. He then adjusted his strategy, switching to clear nights for his surveys.
The breakthrough came on the evening of August 17, 2025. As Hu was descending the mountain, a slender snake suddenly slithered across the road. He immediately moved closer to observe—it was exactly the target species he had been searching for. The adult female snake measured over 30 cm in length, with a brownish body and a light brown underside, matching the characteristics of the previously discovered remains. It later became the holotype specimen used in the formal description of the species.
Over the next two months, Hu continued his surveys, discovering two more live snakes and two road-killed specimens in the same area, bringing the total to five specimens. After proper processing, these specimens were sent to universities and research institutions for molecular sequencing and morphological analysis, providing critical evidence for the scientific identification of the new species.
The new species has now been officially named the Kuocang Mountain keelback (Achalinus mirabilis), with a CO1 genetic divergence of 9.5%–10.9% from its closest relatives. The discovery enriches Zhejiang’s known biodiversity and highlights the potential role of citizen science in scientific research. The findings were published in early March in the international journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.
Xu Jinan, the project leader and engineer, said Hu Jiahao was an 'indispensable key force' in the identification of this new species. He provided the crucial specimens that filled the most critical gap in the research.
