By Sakshi Sah
Published Oct 22, 2024

Hindustan Times
Trending

Photo Credit: Virender K Bhardwaj

New Himalayan snake species named after Leonardo DiCaprio

A new snake species has been discovered in the western Himalayas and named after Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

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This new snake species honours Leonardo DiCaprio for his contributions to conservation and environmental awareness.

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The discovery was made by a team of researchers from India, Germany and the United Kingdom in 2020.

Photo Credit: Pexels (Representative Image)

The researchers were searching for lesser-known snake species as part of a project on India’s reptiles.

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The snake has been named ‘Anguiculus dicaprioi’ or DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake.

Photo Credit: Virender K Bhardwaj

The new species is classified under a new genus called ‘Anguiculus,’ which means ‘small snake’ in Latin.

Photo Credit: Virender K Bhardwaj

The team found brown snakes basking on a mud road in the mountainous regions of Himachal Pradesh.

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Besides Himachal Pradesh, DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake has also been found in Nainital, Uttarkhand, and Chitwan National Park, Nepal.

Photo Credit: Flickr (Representative Image)

This new species grows to about 22 inches, has dozens of teeth, a broad collar with dark spots, and lives at heights of around 6,000 feet.

Photo Credit: Flickr (Representative Image)

The discovery of the new snake species underscores the ongoing research efforts in India’s biodiversity and conservation.

Photo Credit: Flickr (Representative Image)