A 20-centimeter reed snake mimicking a second head with its tail, a peaceful nature, a diet of worms and larvae

This is according to the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution and a report from researchers at the Guangxi Museum of Natural History.

Chinese researchers have identified a new species of snake. It has been named the Guangxi reed snake. Its main feature — the ability to scare off predators by mimicking a second head using its tail.

The discovery was detailed last month in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution. It was the result of a broader biodiversity survey in the Huaping National Nature Reserve. The reserve is located in southern China, in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The study involved one of several teams from the Guangxi Museum of Natural History.

The snake measures just over 20 centimeters in length. Its body is slender and brown. Seven alternating dark stripes run along its back. Dark pigmentation on the edges of its scales creates a characteristic reticulated pattern, the researchers noted.

This species is primarily nocturnal and semi-fossorial. It spends most of its life hiding in leaf litter, decaying soil and rock crevices. Field teams discovered the creature in broadleaf forests at an altitude of approximately 760 meters. There, it moves across the forest floor, feeding on a specialized diet of earthworms and soft-bodied insect larvae.

Despite its dramatic defensive posture, the researchers describe the creature as docile, non-venomous and non-aggressive. Its most characteristic behavior — when frightened, it curls its body into a figure-eight shape or raises its blunt, rounded tail, mimicking a head. This feature has earned the snake the nickname “two-headed snake”. This discovery is the second significant find in the Huaping reserve this year. Earlier in 2026, researchers also identified the Huaping toad, known as Leptobrachella cathaya.

The researchers stated that these consecutive discoveries highlight the critical role of the reserve as a biodiversity refuge. They also confirm the growing recognition of the ancient forests of northern Guangxi as a vital global “gene bank” for rare species.

And here is something to think about. If one reserve can yield two creatures unknown to science in just a few months — how much more remains undiscovered in these ancient forests? And more importantly, what other life forms might be watching us from the darkness right now?

Humanity is only beginning to peek into nature’s hiding places. And each such discovery is not just a line in a scientific journal. It is a reminder that we are not alone on this planet. And perhaps, the most astonishing encounters still lie ahead.