Researchers are reviewing a preserved green snake specimen to determine whether a green mamba ever lived on São Tomé and Príncipe, a question open for more than 150 years. No finding is reported; the historic specimen is not evidence of a current snake emergency.
Older specimens can be reassessed using finer measurements, updated taxonomic standards or DNA tests. The article does not say which methods are being used here; confirming or correcting the identification could affect the islands’ accepted species list and understanding of their ecological history.
