Yep, this sounds like something straight out of a Sci-Fi movie.
A photo is going viral of a species allegedly called “Serpens Catus,” a cat with black and yellow stripes and skin that resembles a snake.
Somebody posted a picture of the almost unheard of species, saying:
“Serpens catus is the rarest species of feline on Earth. These Animals live in hard-to-reach regions of the Amazon rainforest, and therefore they are relatively poorly studied.
The first images capturing the snake cat appeared only in the 2020. Weighs up the 4 stone (56 pounds).”
Naturally, several have taken to social media to point out the obvious… the picture is completely fake.
According to the New York Post, people were responding to a since deleted Reddit post, saying:
“Obvious fake No known gene can produce natural hair or fur of those (navy and bright yellow) colors”
“Really rough attempt at a fake Latin name. One google about the species naming would have made this a lot less obvious.”
Another Twitter user said:
“Ahh the Photoshopius maximus Serpens catus the rarest of the breed.”
The outlet reached out to zoology experts to see how authentic the picture was (it’s definitely fake), but the color pattern of the creature in the photo resembles the reptilian boiga dendrophila, known as the “gold-ringed cat snake.”
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute says that the snake is found in the same countries where the Amazon snake cat was allegedly found, which is Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname.
@jennifferreyes467 #amazonia #animalesextrañostraños #gatosdetiktok ♬ Epic Drama – Lesfm & Magnetic Trailer
