Chinese scientists have discovered a new species of the aggressive brownish pit viper in the largest scientific study since the 1970s on wildlife at Mount Everest in Tibet.

A genetic analysis identified Protobothrops himalayanus, which was first spotted at Jilong Valley in southern Tibet Autonomous Region in 2012, as a new snake species. The new species was named in honour of its home, the Himalayas, said Hu Huijian, co-chief of the research team and a researcher of the South China Institute of Endangered Animals.

Featuring a round head and copper-coloured eyes, the adult Protobothrops himalayanus is about 1.5 metres in length. Mostly found on the south flank of the Himalayas, the reptile is fierce and aggressive.

“Actually, local people called it ‘the holy dragon of the Himalayas’ and they always show great awe toward the creatures, which are well protected,” Hu said. The discovery, published in Asian Herpetological Research, is more evidence of Tibet’s biodiversity, he said.

Currently, there are 12 valid species in the genus Protobothrops, of which seven are known to inhabit China and many of them prefer mountain areas at high elevations.

Since the expedition started in October 2010, the research team has travelled an area of 32,000 sq km and has so far discovered and identified 499 species of vertebrates, including eight species of fish, according to Hu.

“Twenty of them are under top-level state protection, nine of which are on the ‘red list’ of endangered species by the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature,” Hu told state run Xinhua news agency.

The new discoveries have laid a solid foundation for wildlife study and protection at Mount Everest, which has one of the world’s most-watched and vulnerable ecosystems, said Cao Tiantang, head of the Mount Everest nature reserve, which organised the research.

Another inspiring discovery is the brown-fronted woodpecker, which was previously seen in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, but has only recently been observed in China. The bird was discovered in the Jilong Valley in May 2012. China has previously organised two scientific studies on wildlife at Mount Everest, one in 1975 and another from 1991 to 1993.