A routine forest patrol in Gujarat's Kutch brought forest officers face-to-face with an Afro-Asian sand snake, a species not definitively recorded in the region for more than 150 years.
Here's what to know
On September 6, near Kala Dungar outside Bhuj, a Gujarat Forest Department team documented a snake tied to the region's scientific record stretching back well over a century.
The animal was identified as the Afro-Asian sand snake, or Schokari Sand Racer, a slim species suited to dry, sandy ground. According to India Today, the Bhuj North Range team encountered it at about 7:30 p.m. while returning from patrol.
The team, led by Range Forest Officer Jayesh Dumadiya, had pulled over because a common black-headed royal snake was on the road. As they dealt with that snake, another reptile showed up nearby, and Dumadiya, who was newly posted to Kutch, took photos and video of it and sent the material out for identification.
Experts identified the reptile as an Afro-Asian sand snake. In India, the species is associated with arid areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat, and Kutch had not produced a conclusive record since Czech naturalist Ferdinand Stoliczka collected specimens there in 1871 and 1872.
More background
Although Kutch can seem barren at first view, its desert and scrub habitat can harbor specialized wildlife that is easy to miss, particularly animals that move quickly, stay hidden, or emerge around dusk, like the sand snake.
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Rodents and lizards are among this snake's prey, placing it within the local food web. It is also mildly venomous, though it is generally considered to pose little risk to people.
When a species goes unconfirmed for generations, it can leave gaps in conservation planning, land management, and public understanding of what wildlife still inhabits an area.
What's being done?
According to India Today, the Gujarat Forest Department intends to document the sighting in more detail and publish it in scientific journals, steps that could update Kutch's record for the species.
Because the encounter was captured in photos and video, it did not remain an uncertain sighting. The patrol instead produced evidence linking the present-day case to 19th-century records.
Where can I learn more?
These unusual snake encounters and rediscoveries elsewhere help put the Kutch sighting in perspective.
• In Fujian, scientists made a secretive snake discovery in a mountain forest seldom searched.
• In Dudhwa, experts celebrated a rare sighting of an elusive snake seen only twice.
• In Sichuan, researchers rediscovered a rare snake decades after it slipped from view.
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