Team led by Mizo herpetologist discovers new species of snake in Myanmar

Aizawl, May 6: A professor of the Zoology Department at Mizoram University and his scholars discovered a new species of snake in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

The team included Prof. HT Lalremsanga from the Department of Zoology, Mizoram University research scholar Lalbiakzuala, Vietnamese herpetologist Tan Van Nguyen, and German herpetologist Gernot Vogel.

The team, during a detailed study of the taxonomic status of the Herpetoreas xenura species complex based on morphological and molecular data at Mizoram, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, stumbled upon a new species of snake at Rakhine Yoma Elephant Wildlife Sanctuary, Rakhine, Myanmar.

The newly discovered snake is named Herpetoreas davidi- after the famous French taxonomist Patrick David. It was published in the scientific research journal- European Journal of Taxonomy volume 932 on May 4, 2024.

Prof. HT Lalremsanga said, “The new snake that we discovered is a rare variety, and as far as we can trace, it is a non-venomous snake measuring up to 1 feet, 9 to 11 inches long in length.”

“It feeds on frogs, and its habitat is the low-lying swamps with high humidity,” he added.