Oxybelis inkaterra sp. nov., a vine snake species recently described as new to science on Evolutionary Systematics Journal 5 (1), honors through its specific epithet “the ecotourism company Inkaterra and its non-profit NGO counterpart Inkaterra Asociación” for promoting education and conservation of Peruvian culture and ecosystems in “one of the of the most thoroughly studied areas in the Neotropics, particularly for amphibian and reptile natural history.”

A diurnal arboreal snake native to the Amazonian rainforest of Peru, the Oxybelis inkaterra has “a fondness for small lizards.” It is found in dense vegetation or adjacent clearings on the riverbank of the Madre de Dios River. Its irregular head, with darkly pigmented ventral surface and pale spots, as well as relatively short and broad snout and a dirty cream with black flecking dorsum, are some of the characteristics that distinguish it from the seven other members of the Oxybelis aeneus complex.

The Oxybelis inkaterra was found by Dr. William E. Duellman, from the BIOTROP Program (Kansas University). His groundbreaking, two-decade research led to the first book inventorying biodiversity found within Inkaterra grounds in Madre de Dios – where this vine snake was initially featured. Cusco Amazonico: The Lives of Amphibians and Reptiles in an Amazonian Rainforest (1991) was published by Cornell University Press, and it is considered by Cornell “the baseline against which all future studies of Amazonian amphibians and reptiles (and even other organisms) will be compared.”

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TRAVEL + LEISURE 2021 WORLD’S BEST AWARDS

Your invaluable support allows the nomination of five Inkaterra properties at the prestigious Travel + Leisure 2021 World’s Best Awards (American Express Group), inviting readers to rate the leading brands in the travel industry.

“We are deeply thankful for this new nomination encouraged by Travel + Leisure readers, who last year voted Inkaterra as best hotel brand in South America. It is a celebration of our 45-year history since we pioneered ecotourism in Peru, with research, conservation and sustainability at the very core of our business,” declared Inkaterra founder José Koechlin.

Nominated properties in the Cusco region are Inkaterra La Casona, Peru’s first Relais & Châteaux property; the gracious Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, tucked away in the Andean cloud forest; and Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba, established amid the evergreen mountains of the Sacred Valley. Nominated lodges in the Amazon rainforest of Madre de Dios are Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, an eco-luxury lodge inspired by the Ese’Eja culture; and Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción, established near the majestic Lake Sandoval, a water mirror inhabited by howler monkeys, caimans and river otters.

Vote here until May 10 and you will be entered into Travel + Leisure’s giveaway for a chance to win a dream trip for two worth $10,000, planned by a T+L A-List Advisor.