A new species of snake was found in China, whose venom is so powerful that it may leave human victims crippled.

The snake, Gloydius lateralis, was discovered in the Zaru Valley in Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve, a World Heritage Site in China’s Sichuan Province.

The researchers say it feeds on small mammals, such as mice, and is “active on sunny days by the side of the road in a hot, dry valley”.

This species had a small body of about 18 inches, large eyes, and had a dark green or brown skin color with four rows of dark brown zigzag spots.

A continuous gray-brown band runs down each side of the snake’s body and tail, which is why it is called “lateral” (in relation to “lateral”).

When asked if the snake poses a threat to humans, Dr. Qingxiao Xi emphasized the effectiveness of its venom. And I don’t think its sting is light. It comes with a lot of pain and may cause physical disability when not treated in time.

Experts were conducting surveys in Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve when they collected some specimens of glooidius, a genus of venomous pit vipers endemic to Asia, from the Zaro Valley.

After conducting morphological and evolutionary analyzes, the scientists discovered that these specimens actually belonged to a species that had not yet been described.

The new study was published in the scientific journal ZooKeys.