Rare snake species discovered in Telangana

Upon receiving information about a snake entering a house in Boduppal, a member of the Friends of Snakes Society, J Prabhakar rushed to the scene, only to discover that the specimen was not only non-venomous but, a rare species, which was identified as ‘Stout Sand Snake’ by the organisation.

The specimen is now housed at the society's shelter to conduct behavioural study and would be later relocated in and around its home range with the help of the Telangana Forest Department.

The species, which is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972), is endemic to India with confirmed records only from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Its first specimen was collected by British Zoologist GA Boulenger in 1896, from Cuddappah Hills in Andhra Pradesh and since then, no specimen of the species has ever been recorded from South India.