Guwahati: The Dog-faced Water Snake (Cerberus rynchops) has been spotted for the first time in Northeast India, nearly 800 km away from its usual coastal habitat.
The sighting took place in Assam’s Nalbari District, challenging what scientists thought they knew about where this snake lives. It also shows the important role that local snake rescuers play in ecological research.
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The study, published in ‘Reptiles & Amphibians’ by Pankaj Lochan Deka, Rajesh Dutta Baruah, Atul Kalita, Prasanna Kalita, Madhab Medhi, and Jayaditya Purkayastha, highlights how grassroots conservationists, especially snake rescuers, can contribute valuable information to scientific discoveries and conservation efforts.
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Dr. Jayaditya Purkayastha, General Secretary of Help Earth, pointed out that snake rescuers are an underused resource in research: “With the right training, they can greatly help with data collection, conserving habitats, and managing conflicts between humans and snakes.”
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This discovery suggests the need to involve snake rescuers in formal conservation work. These rescuers are often the first people to respond to human-snake encounters, giving them access to important information about species diversity, migration, and habitat changes. If given proper training in scientific methods and data collection, they could provide valuable data to help with conservation efforts.
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Snake rescuers could also help identify areas where human-snake conflicts happen most often, track snake activity over the seasons, and spot possible threats to endangered species. This information could help create better conservation plans, protect habitats, and influence policy decisions.
Besides their scientific work, snake rescuers also play a key role in educating the community. With the right guidance, they can help reduce snakebite risks, encourage peaceful coexistence with snakes, and raise awareness about conservation.
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The discovery of Dog-faced Water Snake (Cerberus rynchops) in Assam is not only a significant find in science but also shows how important it is to use local knowledge in conservation. By training more snake rescuers, India could improve how biodiversity data is collected and create better conservation strategies.