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New snake species found in Arunachal
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- Researchers have discovered a new species of nonvenomous burrowing snake in Arunachal Pradesh, named Trachischium apteii.
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- Finding Published in: Comptes Rendus Biologies - international science journal
- Where were Snakes found: under fallen logs inside a thickly forested area of the Tally Valley Wildlife Sanctuary near the town of Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh during a field expedition by researchers in July 2019.
- About the Newly Discovered Snake Species:
(1) Grouped under fossorial snakes who mostly live underground & surface mainly during or after a heavy monsoon shower.
(2) Burrowing habit: Experts behind the discovery suggested that due to burrowing habits, snake species of this genus, are seldom seen & hence remain poorly studied.
(3) Naming: Named Trachischium apteii to honour the contribution of Deepak Apte, noted marine biologist & Director of BNHS.
(4) Trachischium are commonly called slender snakes.
(5) Distribution: Seven species are distributed across the Himalayas, and the Indo-Burma and Indo-China regions.
(6) Morphologically, the snake is distinguished by smooth and dorsal scales arranged in 15 rows throughout the body.
(7) The dorsal colour of the holotype is dark brown to black with faint dorsal longitudinal lines.
(8) Size: Large sized members of the genus measure about 293 mm to 299 mm (measuring a little less than a foot).
- Underlining that forests across northeast India have not been well explored for their biodiversity, especially reptiles, amphibians and most invertebrate groups, the authors said that “anthropogenic pressures like road widening, construction of dams and hydropower plants threaten the forest and biodiversity across Arunachal Pradesh”.
Sources
The Hindu