Calamaria Mizoramensis: New reed snake species found in Mizoram

According to the researchers, the species is currently confirmed only from Mizoram, though its presence in neighbouring regions cannot be ruled out

A new species of reed snake was found in Mizoram, which the researchers named after the state where it was found, calling it Calamaria Mizoramensis.

The newly described Mizoram species is non-venomous and poses no threat to humans. (Sourced HT photo)

A team of researchers headed by HT Lalremsanga, professor in Mizoram University confirmed the discovery.

The discovery, led by Prof HT Lalremsanga, head of the department of zoology, along with fellow researcher Malsawmdawngliana Fanai, their team, and other colleagues from Russia, Germany and Vietnam, has been formally published in the latest issue of Zootaxa issued on Monday, January 5, 2026.

According to Prof. HT Lalremsanga, the genus Calamaria comprises 69 recognised species globally, most of them small, secretive, and poorly studied; the newly described Mizoram species is non-venomous and poses no threat to humans.

“This particular specimen is not new to us; we found it in 2008 at Mizoram University campus and later on in different parts of Mizoram. Specimens from Mizoram were earlier treated as part of a widespread Southeast Asian species since we could not distinguish the DNA sequence,” HT Lalremsanga said.

“The team analysed specimens collected over more than a decade from forested areas in and around Aizawl, Reiek, Sihphir and Sawleng, as well as parts of Mamit and Kolasib districts in Mizoram. After thorough research and examination, we found genetic comparisons that showed that the Mizoram reed snake differs by over 15 percent from its closest known relatives, a level of divergence considered sufficient to recognise a new species,” Lalremsanga told HT.

According to the researchers, the species is currently confirmed only from Mizoram, though its presence in neighbouring regions cannot be ruled out.

“Its occurrence in other parts of India remains unverified, but it is likely to be present in adjoining states such as Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. A possible extension into the Chittagong region of Bangladesh also requires further confirmation,” the authors at Zootaxa issued on Monday, January 5, 2026, noted.

Lalremsanga described the species as nocturnal and semi-fossorial, inhabiting humid, forested hill environments.

Habitats of Calamaria Mizoramensis found in Mizoram have been recorded at elevations ranging from 670 to 1,295 metres above sea level, including locations close to human settlements such as the Mizoram University campus, he added.

The study also revealed an updated checklist of Mizoram’s herpetofauna, documenting 169 species, including 52 amphibians and 117 reptiles, highlighting the state’s high reptile and amphibian diversity.