A brown morph, long-snouted vine snake, Ahaetulla longirostris, was discovered in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, in a landmark herpetological breakthrough, officials said Thursday.
This rare and cryptic species was sighted and photographed alive in the grassland of Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary on Monday, officials said.
"The discovery marked the second live record of this species from Uttar Pradesh, following its initial sighting during the 2024 rhino translocation initiative in the South Sonaripur range, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve Division, Palia Kheri," said Dudhwa biologist Vipin Kapoor Sainy.
He added the discovery marked the second live record of this species from Uttar Pradesh, following its initial sighting during the 2024 rhino translocation initiative in the South Sonaripur range, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve Division, Palia- Kheri.
The snake was observed during a coordinated tiger-tracking patrol by a team comprising wildlife biologists Vipin Kapoor Sainy, Apoorv Gupta, and Rohit Ravi (Senior Biologist, WWF India), along with veterinary expert Dr Talha, pharmacist Sandeep, and frontline staff Bhagiram and Nabisher Khan.
During routine monitoring, biologist Sainy spotted the slender, elongated snake moving slowly across the grassland edge toward a forest road. Recognising its significance, the team conducted non-invasive photographic documentation and a brief health assessment, confirming the specimen's vitality and intact physical condition.
The snake was safely released at the same location under the supervision of forest range officer Mohammad Ayub.
Field Director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) Dr H Raja Mohan lauded the biologists' team for the discovery and said: "Dudhwa is not just about tigers, elephants, or rhinos, it is an evolving repository of lesser-known and ecologically vital species." He added, "The discovery of Ahactulla longirostris, particularly the brown morph, which was never seen before in India, exemplifies the depth of biodiversity Dudhwa is blessed with." He further said, "Such observations were possible only because of the dedicated teams that combined scientific expertise with frontline conservation commitment." Elaborating upon the new discovery, Deputy Director, DTR Dr Rengaraju T said, " The re-appearance of Ahaetulla longirostris in the Terai plains, and that too in two distinct colour morphs, green and brown, pointed towards a broader ecological amplitude." He added, "The Kishanpur sighting opened new avenues to study polymorphism, microhabitat preferences, and species distribution in the Indo-Gangetic region." Dr Rengaraju T informed that the long-snouted Vine Snake was a mildly venomous snake distinguished by its laterally compressed body, sharply pointed snout, and horizontal pupils, features often leading to misidentification with closely related Ahaetulla species." These records placed Dudhwa at the forefront of herpetofaunal research in northern India.
Dr Rengaraju said, "The Forest Department, along with scientific partners, is now planning to strengthen its biodiversity monitoring frameworks, encourage herpetological surveys, and build local capacity for the identification and conservation of cryptic species, ensuring that the full ecological spectrum of Dudhwa continues to be revealed."
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