Guwahati: Researchers have spotted a cryptic venomous snake, the Brown-spotted Pitviper (Protobothrops mucrosquamatus), for the very first time in Assam. This snake was previously known to exist in several southeastern Asian countries, including Myanmar, Laos, and China.
Prior to this discovery, confirmed sightings of the Brown-spotted Pitviper in India were limited to the states of Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland. This new finding confirms the presence of the snake in Assam’s Karbi-Anlong district.
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Although the species was listed as occurring in Assam in 1929 by SH Prater and in 1943 by MA Smith, the state at that time was undivided and included the present-day states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
The snake was found in a bamboo forest patch and retreated into nearby shrubs after encountering the researchers.
The discovery was made by a team of researchers led by Arijit Dutta, Jayant Kumar Roy, Sourav Gupta and M Firoz Ahmed. The team’s research paper was published in the 31st issue of the leading wildlife and environment magazine, Reptiles and Amphibians.
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“This record from the present state of Assam is the fourth state in India in which the species has been reported,” the researchers noted in their report.
The research team encountered the well-camouflaged snake on a forest trail in August 2022.
Researchers were able to identify the snake using photographs and with the help of specialists, confirming the first documented sighting of the Brown-spotted Pitviper in Assam.