Bhubaneswar: The short-nosed vine snake that is usually found in the north-east has been spotted in Similipal Tiger Reserve.
With it, the famed 2,750 sq km tiger habitat has added a new species to its herpetofauna. The snake, whose scientific name is Ahaetulla persina, was spotted in the Jenabil range of the reserve, a core area, where almost 40 per cent of the reserve’s total tiger population is found.

The snake is known for its extreme slenderness and elongated head. Although vine snakes have been found in Similipal earlier, short-nose elongated one has been sighted for the first time. “We found the species on April 11 this year while surveying the fauna at Taktaki river inside Jenabil range of the reserve. The exact location of the spotting was Sana Tangria. The snake can be easily identified as their eyes have key-hole pupil. No other snake species in India has this feature,” said Similipal field director Prakash Gogineni.
He said the snake’s eye feature lends it a binocular-type vision. “They have a mild venomous feature. Their bite can cause swelling, pain and irritation. They can camouflage easily because their body colour is yellow and green,” Gogineni added.
The snakes are ovoviviparous — they hatch the egg inside their bodies and give birth to adult snakes. “Since they prey mostly on lizards, they prefer tall and leafy trees, where they can camouflage and hunt their prey,” he said.
Maximum six species of vine snakes are sighted in the Western ghats. Official sources said there is no morphological variation among several species of vine snakes. “With the advent of molecular analysis of their DNA, they are now identified as several species. North-east vine snake population and Similipal population must have been isolated for centuries otherwise there could have been a genetically new variant of vine snake found here,” wildlife officials said.
This year, Similipal saw fewer active fire points compared to past three years resulting in unhindered growth of flora and fauna, officials said. “Because of the protection mechanism in place in Similipal, rare snakes are being smuggled,” said wildlife enthusiast and snake expert Suvendu Sahu.

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