Rare Long-Snouted Vine Snake Species Sighted In UP's Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

Lakhimpur Kheri: A rare snake species, Ahaetulla Longirostris, has been seen again in Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. The long-snouted vine snake was spotted on May 12. It is a rare and stealthy species which lives in a mixed landscape of grassland and forest.

This is the second sighting of a live snake after March 28 during a rhino release operation in the Palia Kheri division of the state.

This time it was sighted during a tiger monitoring patrol by wildlife biologists Vipin Kapoor Saini, Apoorv Gupta, Rohit Ravi (senior biologist of WWF), veterinary expert Dr Talha, pharmacist Sandeep and field staff Shri Bhagiram and Shri Nabisher Khan. Saini was the first to spot this thin and long-bodied snake slowly slithering from the edge of the grass towards the forest.

The patrolling team then carried out photographic documentation and a brief health check-up of the reptile, which confirmed the snake was healthy. Later, it was released at the same place under the supervision of Range Officer Mohammad Ayub.

"Dudhwa is not limited to only tigers, elephants or rhinoceroses. It is also a treasure trove of unseen and ecologically important species. This brown morph of Ahaetulla Longirostris has never been sighted before in the country. This is the result of the hard work and dedication of our scientific and frontline teams," Field Director Dr H Raja Mohan said.

Dr Rangaraju T, the deputy director, said, "Ahaetulla Longirosus was earlier considered to be found in a limited area. Now, the appearance of its two colour variations — green and brown — in the Terai region shows that its ecological tolerance has increased. The discovery opens up new avenues of study."

The snake is a mildly venomous, tree-dwelling colubrid species, which is often confused with other species of Ahaetulla due to its thin-flat body and pointed nose. Earlier, it was believed to be restricted to the Western Ghats, but its first appearance in 2024 in Dudhwa changed the concept.

This discovery came at a time when the sighting of the Condonarus sand snake (Psammophis condanarus) was also confirmed for the first time in Dudhwa, proving its significance as a premier herpetological research centre in north India.

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