Two new venomous snake species discovered from Nagaland & Arunachal

June 30, 2024 16 Views No Comment

Dehradun, June 30 (MExN): Two new venomous snake species have been reported from Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, adding to the biodiversity of the two states, according to a study published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.

The two species – Suzhen’s Krait (Bungarus suzhenae) from Nagaland and Zayuan Pit Viper (Ovophis zayuensis) from Arunachal Pradesh – were sighted for the first time in India during the study conducted by researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dehradun in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, London.

Suzhen’s Krait belongs to the Elapidae family, while Zayuan Pit Viper is of the Viperidae family, known for neurotoxic and haemotoxic venom properties respectively, stated the WII in a press release.

North-East India is part of the Himalayan and Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot and is home to approximately 21 species of venomous snakes from the families Viperidae and Elapidae, the release noted. With the recent addition of two species, the list now totals 23 for the region.

Sightings:
The study recorded Suzhen’s Krait along the Jessami–Meluri road at the Nagaland-Manipur border. The surrounding area mostly comprises secondary vegetation with extensive jhum cultivation areas not far from human habitation.

The newly reported krait resembles the Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus), which is widely distributed in most regions of India but not in North-East India, the study observed. On the other hand, the harmless White-banded wolf snake closely mimics the venomous Suzhen’s Krait.

“These harmless wolf snakes are so successful in mimicking Suzhen’s Krait that they deceived even the trained eye of a herpetologist and led to the death of the famous American herpetologist Dr Joseph Bruno Slowinski,” stated Abhijit Das of WII, who is part of the study team.

Meanwhile, the Zayuan Pit Viper was recorded at the Dri River bank near Etabe village, Dibang Valley district, Arunachal Pradesh. The habitat in this region was modified due to the recent construction of Bruni Road, the study noted.

The study also reported the ground-dwelling Zayuan Pit Viper for the first time from Dibang Valley and highlighted that its “actual distribution in this frontier Indian State may be far larger than currently understood.”

Similarly, the distribution of dangerously venomous Suzhen’s Krait in Northeast India needs further investigation, it added. The study also informed that out of eight species of venomous kraits from India, North-East India holds the maximum species diversity of five species.

“Despite several fatalities caused by other Bungarus species, the commercial antivenom is manufactured only against the most widespread congener B. caeruleus. This new finding reported here also indicates the lack of systematic studies on this group of snakes, especially in northeastern India,” the study added.

To this end, the study called for proper identification of such venomous species and understanding of geographic distribution backed up by genetic data. This is crucial for general awareness, venom research, and the development of lifesaving antivenin, it noted, adding that it is also important to recognise other medically important snakes, especially from North-East India, for snake antivenom research and manufacture.