Aizawl: A professor from the Zoology Department of Mizoram University (MZU), along with his research scholar and their colleagues, has discovered a new species of snake, Smithophis laptofasciatus, in Mizoram.
The discovery followed an extensive study of the snake’s scales, morphological features, and DNA during herpetological expeditions, according to Prof. HT Lalremsanga, head of the Zoology Department at MZU.
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The groundbreaking research was published on August 5 in the international scientific journal Taprobanica: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity, Prof. Lalremsanga confirmed.
To date, five species of Smithophis have been identified worldwide, with most found in India’s northeast and neighbouring regions. Of these five, two species—Smithophis atemporalis and Smithophis mizoramensis—were discovered in Mizoram.
While the new species was initially thought to be a variant of Smithophis bicolor, discovered in Meghalaya in 1855, Smithophis laptofasciatus was found to differ by 11.5% in both DNA and morphological traits, confirming it as a distinct species.
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Smithophis laptofasciatus is non-venomous and primarily feeds on worms. It is typically found in dense, thick forests during the rainy season.