Anguiculus dicaprioi was collected from mud roads. They were observed basking and stayed motionless until they were captured.
Researchers in India have described a new snake species that was found in Himachal Pradesh state in northern India> The snake is named after movie star and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio.
The snake, Anguiculus dicaprioi is of the Gongylosoma genus of snakes of the superfamily Colubroidea. It is brown in coloration with a dark brown band at the nape. It also features some dark brown spots. The belly is whitish with no markings or mottling. The snout is an olive color that turns to a shade of brown with some orange at the nape. This extends to the tail tip. it also has a grey band at the neck and features dark brown to gray longitudinal stripes.
Anguiculus dicaprioi gen. et. sp. nov. in life, (a) holotype female NCBS NRC-AA-0013, Photo by Virender Bharadwaj; (b) uncollected individual from Nainital, Uttarakhand. Photo by Vipul Ramanuj.
Anguiculus dicaprioi was collected from mud roads. They were observed basking and stayed motionless until they were captured. They made no attempt to bite, according to the researchers. They were observed in June through September 2020 and were not seen during other months of the year. The suggested common name is ‘DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake.’
Leonardo DiCaprio Names New Snake Species After His Mother
The complete paper describing the new species,”Phylogeny and systematics of the colubrid snake genera Liopeltis and Gongylosoma (Squamata: Colubridae) and description of a new Himalayan endemic genus and species” can be read on the Scientific Reports website.
