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Snake Considered to be Extinct Found in MaharashtraOn the 3rd of August 2003 in Wardha, Parag Dandge, a young snake rescuer and District Coordinator of Satpuda Foundation, Wardha Unit found a small dead snake covered by ants. Fortunately he preserved it, little knowing that his foresight would rock the entire herpetological world. Parag was unable to identify the snake until 2005, when he sent pictures of the snake to the Center for Herpetology, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Chennai, the Bombay Natural History Society and the Indian Herpetological Society, Pune. Further collaboration with a team of taxonomists from India and Germany resulted in it being identified as the Indian Egg-eater Elachistodon westermanni. Fewer than 10 specimens of this species have ever been found, leading several authorities to believe that the Indian Egg-eater was extinct. Besides India (Bihar, West Bengal and Uttaranchal), there are old records of the Indian Egg-eater from Bangladesh and Nepal.The Indian Egg-eater is brown or dark grey, has a distinctly flattened body, vertical (eye) pupils, and a whitish stripe that runs down the back. Parag and some taxonomists - Ashok Captain (Pune), Frank Tillack and Andreas Gumprecht (both Germany) have co-authored a paper that has been accepted by the Russian Journal of Herpetology.Further observations on the Egg-eater are required to determine its present status, habitat requirements and formulate effective conservation measures to ensure its survival.
For more information contactMr. Parag DandgeDistrict Coordinator, Satpuda Foundation, Wardha Unit. (M) 860138041