New Snake Species Named in Honor of Buffalo Zoo Employee

A new species of snake has been discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and will be named in honor of a keeper at the Buffalo Zoo.

The snake was discovered by Eli Greenbaum, Ph.D., a former employee of the Buffalo Zoo. Dr. Greenbaum is now an associate professor and the director of biodiversity collections at the University of Texas at El Paso. He volunteered and worked at the Buffalo Zoo from 1989 - 1994.

Eli Greenbaum, Ph.D. Image courtesy of eligreenbaum.iss.utep.edu

The snake has been named Boaedon radfordi in honor of Buffalo Zoo employee, Larry Radford.
"I am certain that I would not be where I am today if I had not had the opportunity to volunteer at the Zoo under Larry's supervision," said Greenbaum. "Larry's passion for herpetology inspired me to seek a career in the field, and it is a great honor to name this new species of snake for him."

Greenbaum's findings will be published in the April 2015 issue of the African Journal of Herpetology.

For more information about the work of Eli Greenbaum, Ph.D., visit his website.