Pankaj Lochan Deka, Rajesh Dutta Baruah, Atul Kalita, Prasanna Kalita, Madhab Medhi, and Dr. Jayaditya Purkayastha published the research paper.
Digital Desk: In a rare discovery, researchers have spotted a rare dog-faced water snake (Cerberus Rynchops) for the first time in Northeast India. The snake was spotted in the floodplains of Nalbari district.
The research paper, published in the journal 'Reptiles and Amphibians', highlights how grassroots conservationists like snake rescuers can contribute valuable data to discoveries and conservation planning.
Pankaj Lochan Deka, Rajesh Dutta Baruah, Atul Kalita, Prasanna Kalita, Madhab Medhi, and Dr. Jayaditya Purkayastha published the research paper.
The mildly venomous snake resides in mangroves, mud flats, streams, ponds, and tidal pools of South and Southeast Asia. The snake's upper jaw gives a dog-like appearance and it eats fish and eels using a passive hunting technique.
Dr. Jayaditya Purkayastha, general secretary of Help Earth said that the research paper documents the first discovery of the snake species in Assam, the first time sighting in the northeast.
He added that snake rescuers are playing a key role in finding resources in biodiversity research. They can bridge gaps in data collection, habitat conservation, and human-snake conflict management if proper training has been provided to them.
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