GUWAHATI: A species of water snake usually found along the coast has been recorded in Nalbari district—about 800 km away from its nearest known habitat.
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Five individuals of the dog-faced water snake (Cerberus rynchops), a mildly venomous, semi-aquatic species, were spotted in the floodplains of Garemara by a team of herpetologists and snake rescuers. Led by Guwahati-based researcher Jayaditya Purkayastha, the team included Pankaj Lochan Deka, Rajesh Dutta Baruah, Atul Kalita, Prasanna Kalita, and Madhab Medhi. Their findings have been published in Reptiles & Amphibians.
The dog-faced water snake is usually found in mangroves, estuaries, and coastal mudflats, thriving in brackish water and feeding on fish and crustaceans. Its presence in Assam’s freshwater floodplains has raised questions.
“This is a species that sticks to the coast. Finding it this far inland is unexpected,” said Purkayastha. The discovery suggests that either the species is adapting to new environments, or there are unknown dispersal routes that brought it here.
What’s Next?
Scientists now want to investigate how the snake ended up so far from the sea. Did it migrate naturally? Has it always been here but went unnoticed? Or is this an isolated case? Further studies are needed to understand whether the species can survive long-term in Assam’s freshwater ecosystems.
For now, the sighting stands as the first inland record of the dog-faced water snake in Northeast India, leaving researchers with more questions than answers.
