Hyderabad: A flying snake, has been sighted at Eastern Ghats mountains in Andhra Pradesh’s Seshachalam forests, biosphere reserve in Chittoor district forest officials and researchers said.
According to researchers, this is the first time that Chrysopelea taprobanica which climbs using ridge scales along its belly, pushing against rough bark of surface of tree trunks, allowing it to move vertically up the tree and upon reaching the branch end the snake continues moving until its tail dangles and then makes J-shape bend and leans forward to select the level of inclination to use and control its flight and glides by stretching its body into a flattened strip. Then, it propels itself by thrusting its body up and away from the tree, sucking in its abdomen and flaring out its ribs to turn its body into a false concave wing, making a continual snake motion parallel to the ground to stabilise its direction in midair in order to land safely.
“It is an adult specimen of C. taprobanica was collected from the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve of Andhra Pradesh, India, being the first record of this snake species from India, significantly extending the known range of distribution of the species according to Guptha who has also captured pictures of two more flying snakes spotted a few months ago.
‘All talk about the Western Ghats but we have come across rare species in the Eastern Ghats as well. There is a need for more long-term research,’ Guptha told IANS.
The rare species found here in recent times include Slender Coral Snake (Calliophis melanurus), Elliot’s Shieldtail (Uropeltis ellioti), Brown vine snake (Ahaetulla pulverulenta) and Nagarjunasagar Racer (Coluber bholanathi).
This sighting significantly expands the known area of presence of this species, also indicates its probable movement between the dry zones of peninsular India and Sri Lanka, which remained connected around 17,000 years ago.