In a major achievement, researchers have discovered a new species of burrowing snake in the biological hotspot of the northern Western Ghats, after a gap of 144 years. The snake has been named after well known herpetologist from Maharashtra, Neelam Kumar Khaire, as Melanophidium Khairei. The research paper about it has been published in the scientific journal, Zootaxa recently.

Melanophidium Khairei, ‘Khaire’s Black Shieldtail, named after Dr Neelam Kumar Khaire, who founded the Katraj Snake Park and the Indian Herpetological Society. Pic/Varad Giri