Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary: Another rare snake species sighted in Dudhwa
Dudhwa biologists came across yet another rare species of a snake in Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary on Monday. It was later identified as Ahaetulla longirostris or long-snouted vine snake.
The chance encounter came close on the heels of another major discovery in the reserve last week with the first confirmed report of the Condanarus Sand Snake (Psammophis condanarus) in Uttar Pradesh.
Dudhwa biologist Vipin Kapoor Sainy described the discovery as a landmark herpetological breakthrough.
He said that the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve had documented the first-ever live record of brown morph (brown-coloured skin) of Ahaetulla longirostris (long-snouted Vine Snake) in India.
The rare and cryptic species was sighted and photographed alive in the grassland-forest mosaic of Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary on 12 May 2025, said Dr Rengaraju T, deputy director of Dudhwa National Park.
The discovery marked the second live record of this species from Uttar Pradesh, following its initial sighting during the 2024 rhino translocation initiative in the South Sonaripur range, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve Division, Palia-kheri.
The snake was observed during a coordinated tiger-tracking patrol by a team comprising wildlife biologists Vipin Kapoor Sainy, Apoorv Gupta, and Rohit Ravi (senior biologist, WWF India), along with veterinary expert Dr Talha, pharmacist Sandeep, and frontline staff Bhagiram and Nabisher Khan.
During routine monitoring, biologist Vipin Kapoor Sainy spotted the slender, elongated snake moving slowly across the grassland edge toward a forest road. Recognising its significance, the team conducted a non-invasive photographic documentation and a brief health assessment, confirming the specimen's vitality and physical condition.
The snake was safely released at the same location under the supervision of forest range officer Mohammad Ayub.
Field director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) Dr H Raja Mohan lauded the biologists' team and said, 'Dudhwa is not just about tigers, elephants, or rhinos, it is an evolving repository of lesser-known and ecologically vital species.'
He added, 'Discovery of Ahactulla longirostris, particularly the
brown morph, which was never seen before in India, exemplifies the depth of biodiversity Dudhwa is blessed with.'
He further said, 'Such observations were possible only because of the dedicated teams that combined scientific expertise with frontline conservation commitment.'
Elaborating upon the new discovery, deputy director, DTR, Dr Rengaraju T said, 'the re-appearance of Ahaetulla longirostris in the Terai plains, and that too in two distinct colour morphs, green and brown, points towards a broader ecological amplitude. The Kishanpur sighting opens new avenues to study polymorphism, microhabitat preferences, and species distribution in the Indo-Gangetic region.'
He described the long-snouted Vine Snake as a mildly venomous snake distinguished by its laterally compressed body, sharply pointed snout, and horizontal pupils, features often leading to misidentification with closely related Ahaetulla species.
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Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
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NDTV
15-05-2025
- NDTV
Rare Long-Snouted Vine Snake Spotted In UP's Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
Lakhimpur Kheri: A brown morph, long-snouted vine snake, Ahaetulla longirostris, was discovered in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, in a landmark herpetological breakthrough, officials said Thursday. This rare and cryptic species was sighted and photographed alive in the grassland of Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary on Monday, officials said. "The discovery marked the second live record of this species from Uttar Pradesh, following its initial sighting during the 2024 rhino translocation initiative in the South Sonaripur range, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve Division, Palia Kheri," said Dudhwa biologist Vipin Kapoor Sainy. He added the discovery marked the second live record of this species from Uttar Pradesh, following its initial sighting during the 2024 rhino translocation initiative in the South Sonaripur range, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve Division, Palia- Kheri. The snake was observed during a coordinated tiger-tracking patrol by a team comprising wildlife biologists Vipin Kapoor Sainy, Apoorv Gupta, and Rohit Ravi (Senior Biologist, WWF India), along with veterinary expert Dr Talha, pharmacist Sandeep, and frontline staff Bhagiram and Nabisher Khan. During routine monitoring, biologist Sainy spotted the slender, elongated snake moving slowly across the grassland edge toward a forest road. Recognising its significance, the team conducted non-invasive photographic documentation and a brief health assessment, confirming the specimen's vitality and intact physical condition. The snake was safely released at the same location under the supervision of forest range officer Mohammad Ayub. Field Director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) Dr H Raja Mohan lauded the biologists' team for the discovery and said: "Dudhwa is not just about tigers, elephants, or rhinos, it is an evolving repository of lesser-known and ecologically vital species." He added, "The discovery of Ahactulla longirostris, particularly the brown morph, which was never seen before in India, exemplifies the depth of biodiversity Dudhwa is blessed with." He further said, "Such observations were possible only because of the dedicated teams that combined scientific expertise with frontline conservation commitment." Elaborating upon the new discovery, Deputy Director, DTR Dr Rengaraju T said, " The re-appearance of Ahaetulla longirostris in the Terai plains, and that too in two distinct colour morphs, green and brown, pointed towards a broader ecological amplitude." He added, "The Kishanpur sighting opened new avenues to study polymorphism, microhabitat preferences, and species distribution in the Indo-Gangetic region." Dr Rengaraju T informed that the long-snouted Vine Snake was a mildly venomous snake distinguished by its laterally compressed body, sharply pointed snout, and horizontal pupils, features often leading to misidentification with closely related Ahaetulla species." These records placed Dudhwa at the forefront of herpetofaunal research in northern India. Dr Rengaraju said, "The Forest Department, along with scientific partners, is now planning to strengthen its biodiversity monitoring frameworks, encourage herpetological surveys, and build local capacity for the identification and conservation of cryptic species, ensuring that the full ecological spectrum of Dudhwa continues to be revealed." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Time of India
Rare brown morph of long-snouted vine snake found in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
Rare species of Ahaetulla longirostris (Photo provided by field director of Dudhwa tiger reserve, H Rajamohan) PILIBHIT: A multidisciplinary Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) team recorded a rare brown morph of the long-snouted vine snake ( Ahaetulla longirostris ) in Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary. The discovery was made on May 12 during a routine tiger patrol by biologists, veterinarians, and frontline staff. Dr Rangaraju T , deputy director of the reserve, described the discovery as a landmark, noting that this is only the second such record in India—and the first in Uttar Pradesh—of a brown-coloured Ahaetulla longirostris . Last year, a green morph of the same species was documented in the Sonaripur range during the translocation of greater one-horned rhinoceroses. The field director of DTR, H Rajamohan , told TOI that the brown Ahaetulla longirostris was first found in Bihar in April the previous year, after which it was spotted in DTR. A team of biologists and veterinarians conducted a health assessment of the rare snake, confirming its vitality and intact physical condition before releasing it in the same forest pocket, he said. 'The long-snouted vine snake is a mildly venomous and arboreal colubrid in innate characteristics, with a laterally compressed body, sharply pointed snout, and horizontal pupils. This species was believed to be confined to the Western Ghats based on sporadic photographic records, but the sightings of both green and brown Ahaetulla longirostris in DTR have certainly enhanced India's reptilian database,' he said, adding that 'this salient discovery has evolved new dimensions of studying polymorphism, microhabitat preferences, and species distribution in the Indo-Gangetic region.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jesus' Tomb Is Opened And Scientists Find Something Unbelievable Novelodge Undo It also strengthened the concept that robust patrolling combined with ecological literacy is always productive for documenting hidden biodiversity. With the new discoveries, Dudhwa has not remained only a wild destination of tigers, one-horned rhinos, and elephants, but it has ventured to evolve into a repository of lesser-known and ecologically vital species, said Dr Rangaraju T. 'We are now planning, along with our scientific partners, to expand the reserve's biodiversity monitoring framework, encourage herpetological surveys, and build local capacity for the identification and conservation of cryptic species, ensuring that a full ecological spectrum of Dudhwa continues to emerge on the horizon of biodiversity research,' he said.
