Guwahati: Sixteen species of snakes have been reported for the first time from Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mizoram showing the rich reptilian diversity of the reserve.
A new study on reptilian diversity at the Dampa Tiger Reserve (DTR) by researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun (WII) and Mizoram University (MU) recorded 33 species of reptiles – about 27% of the total reptilian diversity recorded from Mizoram. This includes new distribution records for 16 snake species with observations on rare species, including the Smithophis atemporalis, Smithophis bicolor, and Boiga quincunciata.
“Dampa Tiger Reserve in Mizoram is teeming with biodiversity, mostly with the denizens of lowland tropical evergreen forests,” Abhijit Das of the WII and the corresponding author of the study told EastMojo.
The study, which is the result of two separate field surveys in March and September 2021, has been published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
The authors of the study titled ‘An updated checklist of reptiles from Dampa Tiger Reserve, Mizoram, India, with sixteen new distribution records‘, included Abhijit Das, faculty in the department of Endangered Species Management at WII; Malsawmdawnglianais, researcher in the department of Environmental Science at MU; Bitupan Boruah, researcher at WII, Naitik Patel, PhD student at WII; Samuel Lalronunga, postdoctoral researcher at department of Zoology, MU; Isaac Zosangliana and K. Lalhmangaiha, naturalists with interest in herpetology.
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While the herpetological season in Northeast is the monsoon period, June-July, the survey was done pre and post monsoon.
The researchers surveyed the region for four days each in the months of March and September, the non-peak herpetological season, and found 33 species of lizards and snakes. Of these, about 16 species were recorded for the first time from the protected area.
“With the updated checklist on reptilian diversity of Dampa, the species richness now stands at a staggering 54 species,” Das said.
The systematic herpetofauna (the reptiles and amphibians of the region) reports from the protected areas of the state were so far only partially available from the Nengpui Wildlife Sanctuary and the Dampa Tiger Reserve. The study, however, addresses the hitherto unknown richness of reptilian species at Dampa Tiger Reserve and presents an updated checklist on the reptile fauna.
“I feel that this is just a tip of the iceberg. Very shy and secretive, highly seasonal, fossorial or largely arboreal species remain to be recorded,” Das said, who believes that much will now depend on the local young herpetologists to keep an eye for the rarer ones.
The snake species reported for the first time from DTR include Hebius khasiensis, Rhabdophis himalayunus, Smithophis bicolor, Smithophis atemporalis, Boiga ochracea, Boiga quincunciata, Oligodon cf. cinereus, Oligodon dorsalis, Dendrelaphis cyanochloris, Ahaetulla flavescens, Pseudoxenodon macrops, Pareas monticola, Naja kaouthia, Bungarus fasciatus, Trimeresurus erythrurus, and Agyrophis diardiiwere.
Located in Mamit District of Mizoram along the Bangladesh border, the natural vegetation of the Dampa Tiger Reserve is tropical evergreen to semi-evergreen forest. The region also has one of the last remaining natural low-to-mid-elevation forests in western Mizoram.
The study was carried out in Phuldungsei and Teirei. In the Phuldungsei range, surveys were done along the Saithah to Phuldungsei road and in the Teirei range, surveys were carried out along the Teirei to Damparengpui village road. Both the road segments form the boundary between the core and buffer of DTR.
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Visual encounter surveys and opportunistic searches were also deployed to assess the reptilian diversity during the survey period. Data on road-killed specimens found during the survey period were also recorded.
In the present study, 10 species of lizards from four families and eight genera; 23 species of snakes from seven families and 16 genera were documented. Among the 33 species of reptiles, one species was identified as ‘Near Threatened’, one species recorded as ‘Data Deficient’ and the rest were identified as ‘Least Concern’ or ‘Not Evaluated as per the IUCN Red List’.
Mizoram is the southernmost state in northeastern India and a part of the India-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot. Low to mid-elevation hill slopes with extensive forested tracts are contributing factors to its native biodiversity. The reptilian diversity of the state so far comprises more than 60 species of snakes.
The first attempt to document the herpetofauna of DTR was made about two decades ago, which recorded 22 species of amphibians, 16 species of lizards, seven species of snakes, and four species of cheloneans.
“The maximum number of encounters during the study were recorded from roadside vegetation, forest trails and streams flowing along the roadside while there were very few encounters in the oil palm plantation,” the study has noted.
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It said expansion of road networks was one of the major threats to wildlife as a result of habitat destruction and population fragmentation.
Studies have shown the impact of roads as manifested in the direct mortality of wildlife through wildlife-vehicle collisions. Vehicle collisions are a major cause of mortality for a wide variety of herpetofauna.
“During the survey at DTR, the researchers observed a road-killed gravid female Trimeresurus erythrurus. As much as road connectivity is essential for the communities living in the fringe villages of DTR, detailed studies on the impact of roads on the wildlife of DTR in general and herpetofauna, in particular, will help in formulating mitigation measures,” researchers associated with the study said.
The researchers hoped that the local herpetofauna diversity inventory presented in this study will ultimately contribute to the understanding of biodiversity and it will be valuable information for policy makers.
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