2-foot-long creature with ‘large’ nostrils found lurking in India. It’s a new species
Near a small mountain stream in eastern India, a 2-foot-long creature with “large” nostrils coiled itself under a boulder. Its remote home and camouflage coloring likely helped it go unnoticed and, when occasionally encountered, be misidentified.
But the lurking animal turned out to be a new species.
Researchers ventured into the mountainous forests of Mizoram state in 2021 to survey wildlife, according to a study published Aug. 7 in the peer-reviewed journal Diversity. During the nighttime expeditions, they found four olive green snakes.
Soon after, a pair of “reptile enthusiasts” found a few more similar-looking snakes, the study co-authors said in a news release shared with McClatchy News.
Researchers took a closer look at the snakes, analyzed their DNA and soon realized they’d discovered a new species: Smithophis mizoramensis, or the Mizo brook snake.
Mizo brook snakes can reach 2 feet in length, the study said. Their “short” heads have “large, crescent-shaped” nostrils and a “blunt, rounded” snout.
A photo shows the olive green coloring of the new species. A brown stripe runs down its spine and “indistinct” brown bands mark its sides.
Mizo brook snakes are semi-aquatic, nocturnal reptiles typically found lurking under rocks or boulders near streams, researchers said. The snakes live in evergreen forests at elevations of about 2,300 feet and are “mostly active during the monsoons.”
Researchers said they named the new species after Mizoram because it was discovered there and, so far, has only been found there. Mizoram is a state in eastern India, a roughly 1,600-mile drive southeast from New Delhi, that borders Myanmar to the east and Bangladesh to the south.
The new species’ common name refers to its preferred habitat.
Mizo brook snakes were identified by their pattern, stomach coloring and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 10% genetic divergence from related species.
The research team included Zeeshan Mirza, Virender Bhardwaj, Jote Chawntual Lalmuanawma, Girish Choure, Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga, Mathipi Vabeiryureilai, Ashok Captain, Akshay Zagade and Harshil Patel.
