Northeast records first dog-faced snake

GUWAHATI The dog-faced water snake has been recorded for the first time in the northeast, far from its known coastal habitat. Guwahati-based herpetologist Jayaditya Purkayastha and a team of serpent rescuers comprising Pankaj Lochan Deka, Rajesh Dutta Baruah, Atul Kalita, Prasanna Kalita, and Madhab Medhi recorded the dog-faced water snake. Role of snake rescuers “The study, made possible through collaboration with local snake rescuers, underscores the need for their orientation and capacity building — not just for effective snake rescue operations but also for gathering crucial ecological data on species diversity, distribution, and seasonal patterns,” Dr Purkayastha, who heads a biodiversity NGO called Help Earth, told The Hindu. He advocated a well-structured long-term snake rescue action plan by integrating rescuers into a formal network, providing them with scientific training, standardised data collection protocols, and access to real-time monitoring tools. Snake rescuers and citizen scientists have been crucial in recording reptiles such as the Laudankia vine snake, venom-spitting monocled cobra, Bengalese kukri snake, and buff-striped keelback apart from studying their predatory activities.