This post documents the major taxonomic revisions, reclassifications, newly discovered snake species, and genus-level changes across India between 2017 and 2025.
🔁 Renamed, Revalidated, or Split Species
- Ahaetulla travancorica, A. farnsworthi, A. sahyadrensis – vine snakes split in 2020.
- King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) – genomic reassessment in 2025 split it into multiple species.
- Teretrurus hewstoni & T. travancoricus – resurrected shieldtail taxa (2022).
- Lycodon deccanensis – Deccan wolf snake split in 2020.
- Dendrelaphis chairecacos – revalidated bronzeback (2024).
- Genus realignment: Trimeresurus → Craspedocephalus for major Indian pit-vipers.
🆕 Newly Described Species & Genera (2017–2025)
| Year | Species / Genus | Location / Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Rhabdops aquaticus | Northern Western Ghats |
| 2018 | Uropeltis bhupathyi | Anaikatti Hills |
| 2019 | Proahaetulla antiqua | Agasthyamalai Hills (new genus) |
| 2019 | Ahaetulla laudankia | Odisha / Eastern Ghats |
| 2019 | Trimeresurus arunachalensis | Arunachal (pit viper) |
| 2020 | Rhinophis karinthandani | Wayanad, Western Ghats |
| 2020 | Lycodon deccanensis | Deccan Plateau wolf snake |
| 2020 | Oligodon churahensis | Churah Valley kukri snake (Himachal) |
| 2021 | Stoliczkia vanhnuailianai | Mizoram (rare genus rediscovery) |
| 2021 | Rhabdophis bindi | Northeast India |
| 2023 | Sahyadriophis uttaraghati | Northern Western Ghats keelback |
| 2024 | Uropeltis caudomaculata | Meghamalai–Munnar shieldtail |
| 2024 | Ahaetulla longirostris | Long-snouted vine snake (Bihar & Meghalaya) |
| 2024 | Dendrelaphis chairecacos | Western Ghats bronzeback |
| 2024 | Anguiculus dicaprioi | “DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake” (Himachal–Nepal) |
| 2025 | King Cobra sp. nov. (2 taxa) | Genomic split (India/SE Asia) |
Note: Also included are rediscoveries such as Assam keelback and Painted keelback, and other isolated range extensions—highlighting how biodiversity assessment is still evolving.
📚 References & Notes
- Foundational works: Malhotra & Thorpe (2004) on pit-viper phylogeny.
- Publications from Zootaxa, ZooKeys, Evolutionary Systematics, and Herpetozoa.
- Verified by Indian herpetologists and official biodiversity checklists (2023–2025).