Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary: Another rare snake species sighted in Dudhwa
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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