New snake species discovered in Himalayas, Named After Leonardo DiCaprio

The species has been named ‘Anguiculus dicaprioi’ or DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake. It was discovered by researchers from India, Germany, and the United Kingdom while searching the lesser-known species of India's reptiles during their project in 2020.

Their study of the new species was published on Monday in Scientific Reports, a peer-reviewed journal.

The new species was classified by the researchers under a new genus called ‘Anguiculus, which means "small snake’ in Latin.

The study explained, "The specific epithet “dicaprioi” is a patronym honouring Leonardo DiCaprio, an American actor, film producer, and environmentalist who has been actively involved in creating awareness about global climate change, increased biodiversity loss, and human health issues through pollution."

The study also said, “In addition to this, he has made funds available for field conservation activities and research. Suggested common name ‘DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake’.”

The researchers were visiting the mountainous regions in the western Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh for their ongoing project when they found a few brown-coloured snakes in the mud road.

The study further mentioned, "The individuals were seen basking and remained motionless until caught and made no attempts to bite."

The study of these snakes, their DNA analysis, and their comparison with other snakes led to the discovery of new species.

HT Lalremsanga, a professor in the Department of Zoology at Mizoram University, and a member of the team of researchers, said, "Besides being found in areas of Himachal Pradesh like Chamba and Kullu, the new species has also been found in Nainital in Uttarakhand and Chitwan National Park in Nepal."

The other researchers of the team are Zeeshan A Mirza, Patrick D Campbell, Harshil Patel, Gernot Vogel, Saunak Pal, and Virender K Bhardwaj.

The study describes the new species as "small-sized," reaching about 22 inches in length. It features a "broad collar with small dark brown spots," a "robust skull," and a "steeply domed snout." This species is found at heights of approximately 6,000 feet above sea level.