New Species of Reed Snake Discovered in Mizoram, Scientists Correct Long-Standing Misidentification

A team of scientists from Mizoram, working in collaboration with researchers from Russia, Germany and Vietnam, has identified a new species of reed snake from the state, correcting a long-standing taxonomic misidentification and adding a previously unknown species to India’s reptile fauna.

The newly discovered species has been named Calamaria mizoramensis, after the state where it was found, said Prof. H.T. Lalremsanga of the Department of Zoology, Mizoram University, who is also the lead author of the study.

The findings were published on Monday in the international peer-reviewed scientific journal Zootaxa and are based on detailed morphological examinations and DNA analysis. According to Lalremsanga, specimens of the snake were first collected in Mizoram in 2008 but were earlier believed to belong to a widely distributed Southeast Asian species.

“The new study establishes that the Mizoram population represents a distinct evolutionary lineage unique to the state,” he said.

The research team analysed specimens collected over more than a decade from forested areas in and around Aizawl, Reiek, Sihphir and Sawlêng, as well as parts of Mamit and Kolasib districts. Genetic comparisons revealed that the Mizoram reed snake differs by more than 15 per cent from its closest known relatives, a level of divergence considered sufficient to classify it as a separate species.

So far, the species has been confirmed only from Mizoram, although its presence in neighbouring regions cannot be ruled out. The researchers noted that while its occurrence elsewhere in India remains unverified, the snake may also be found in adjoining states such as Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. A possible extension into the Chittagong region of Bangladesh would require further confirmation.

The genus Calamaria currently includes 69 recognised species worldwide. The newly identified snake is non-venomous, nocturnal and semi-fossorial, inhabiting humid forested hill regions at elevations ranging from 670 to 1,295 metres. It has also been recorded in areas close to human habitation, including the Mizoram University campus.

Based on available data, the researchers have provisionally assessed Calamaria mizoramensis as ‘Least Concern’ under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria.

The study also presents an updated checklist of Mizoram’s herpetofauna, documenting a total of 169 species, and highlights the need for continued biological surveys and taxonomic research in Northeast India.