Aizawl: Scientists have identified a new species of non-venomous reed snake from Mizoram, resolving a decades-long taxonomic confusion and adding a previously unknown species to India’s reptile fauna.
A team of scientists from Mizoram, working in collaboration with researchers from Russia, Germany and Vietnam, has discovered the new species.
HT Lalremsanga, professor in the Department of Zoology at Mizoram University and leader of the research team, said the newly discovered species has been named Calamaria mizoramensis, after the state where it was discovered.
The findings were published in the international scientific journal Zootaxa on Monday, based on detailed morphological examinations and DNA analysis, he said.
According to Lalremsanga, specimens of the snake were first collected in Mizoram in 2008 but were initially believed to belong to a widely distributed Southeast Asian species. However, the new study has established that the Mizoram population represents a distinct evolutionary lineage found only in the state.
He said the research team analysed specimens collected over more than a decade from forested areas in and around Aizawl, Reiek, Sihphir and Sawlêng, as well as from parts of Mamit and Kolasib districts.
Lalremsanga said genetic analyses showed that the Mizoram reed snake differs by more than 15 per cent from its closest known relatives, a degree of divergence considered sufficient to classify it as a new species. He added that the species has so far been confirmed only from Mizoram, although its presence in neighbouring regions cannot be ruled out.
The study noted that its occurrence elsewhere in India remains unverified but it is likely to be found in adjoining states such as Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. A possible extension into Bangladesh’s Chittagong region also requires further confirmation.
The genus Calamaria comprises 69 recognised species globally, most of which are small, secretive and poorly studied. The newly identified Mizoram species is non-venomous and poses no threat to humans.
Described as nocturnal and semi-fossorial, the snake inhabits humid, forested hill environments and has been recorded at elevations ranging from 670 to 1,295 metres above sea level, including areas close to human settlements such as the Mizoram University campus, the study noted.
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Based on the available evidence, the researchers have provisionally assessed the species as ‘Least Concern’ under the IUCN Red List criteria, noting its distribution across several locations and the lack of any major identified human-related threats.
