Instagram Leads to Discovering of New Snake Species From 'Underestimated' Herpetofauna of Himalayas [LOOK]

A team of scientists has discovered a snake species that was previously unknown to science, and it all started with an Instagram post.

Instagram Photo Finds New Snake Species

Virendar K. Bhardwaj, a graduate student at Guru Nanak Dev University in India, had to stay at home during the COVID-19 epidemic, much like the rest of the globe. He began exploring his garden in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, during this period. According to a blog post by Pensoft, he started publishing images of the animals he saw.

On June 5, 2020, he posted a photo of a kukri snake on Instagram. Though it resembled the Common Kukri Snake (Oligodon arnensis), Zeeshan A. Mirza, the paper's primary author, observed certain distinguishing characteristics when he viewed the snake's photo on his Instagram feed.

The researchers approached Virendar, and he ultimately discovered two snakes of the species. Although there were some delays due to the epidemic, the researchers were able to analyze the DNA of the specimens after the laboratory reopened and determined that they were really distinct from the Common Kukri snake. According to Pensoft, further examination confirmed that the snakes in question were actually a new species.

The researchers gave the species the name Oligodon churahensis, who also recommended the name "Churah Valley Kukri" after the Churah Valley in Himachal Pradesh, where it was discovered. According to the researchers, the new species is linked to the Oligodon arnesis based on morphological and genetic data, although there are a few differences.

"It is quite interesting to see how an image on Instagram led to the discovery of such a pretty snake that, until very recently, remained hidden to the world," comments the researcher per Phys.org.

Undiscovered Snake Species in Western Himalayas

According to the researchers, the discovery of the new species is not surprising, considering that the wealth of Western Himalayas has been inadequately investigated. They also labeled the region's herpetofauna richness as "grossly underestimated."

"Lack of pterygoid and palatine teeth of the new species suggests that the diet may largely comprise of eggs," the researchers noted per EcoWatch. "Discovery of the new species is not surprising, as the Western Himalayas has been poorly explored in terms of its herpetofaunal diversity."

Pensoft, citing Mirza, said it's extremely intriguing to see how a snapshot on Instagram led to the discovery of such a gorgeous snake that had stayed hidden to the public until very recently.

According to Mirza, people have been keen to go to isolated biodiversity hotspots in search of new or uncommon species. However, he said what was even more interesting was finding new species when exploring your own backyard.

Mirza also mentioned how "amazing" it was that a simple act of garden exploration led to discovering a new species, and how Instagram supported the finding.

Researchers published the study, titled "A New Species of Snake of the Genus Oligodon Boie in Fitzinger, 1826 (Reptilia, Serpentes) From the Western Himalayas," in the journal Evolutionary Systematics.

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