New snake species in Europe named after Kingdom of Urartu  

An international team of scientists has named a recently discovered snake species in Europe after the Kingdom of Urartu.

The researchers identified the snake and its range, which includes Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, and Russia including a small region extending into the corner of Europe, Sciencedaily.com reports.

Based on the genetic and morphological data, the researchers were able to say that the Blotched Rat Snake (Elaphe sauromates) actually comprises two different species and includes a cryptic species - dubbed Elaphe urartica - that has been named after the old kingdom of Urartu.