A Guwahati-based zoologist has found a new species of ¡®crying snake¡¯ in Lepa-Rada district of Arunachal Pradesh. The non-venomous crying keelback¡¯s zoological name is Hebius lacrima, The Hindu reported.
The zoologist Jayaditya Purkayastha located this new species in the Basar area of Arunachal Pradesh. The keelback got its name from its physical features. A black spot under its eyes that looks like a tear interrupting a white stripe that runs along the upper jaw to the back of its head and beyond has given the snake its scientific name. ¡®Lacrima¡¯ means tear in Latin.
The mark below its eyes give the snake an impression as if it is crying. ¡°The first time I saw the snake in the photo, I noticed it was different. It was not matching with any species I knew. We then studied it: its scale, size etc,¡± Purkayastha told The Indian Express.
Photo: The Hindu
The zoologist who said that there are almost 3,709 snake species globally, has been working in this field since 2006. He has also discovered many species of frogs and lizards. The details of the snake recently got published in a ?New Zealand-based scientific mega-journal for animal taxonomy called Zootaxa.
The snake which was discovered in a paddy field measured 48.7 centimeters in length. It had to be compared with 44 other snake species for proper identification.
Photo: The Hindu
The snake feeds on small fish, tadpole, frogs and geckos. ¡°We are working on many new species of amphibians and reptiles and hope to get the research published by the middle of this year. There is a lot of scope in research pertaining to herpetofauna in northeast India but we need support from government bodies,¡± he told TH.
Purkayastha took help of Patrick David of the Paris-based National Museum of Natural History in his research who had helped in research of other species of snakes around the world. According to Mr. Purkayastha and Mr. David the crying keelback is a distinct creature which can be differentiated on the basis of its distinctive broad, white, interrupted stripe along its body.