6 months ago
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GUWAHATI
An mean of astir 25 taxon of snakes recorded crossed astatine slightest 4 higher acquisition institutions successful India implicit the past 2 years has underscored the request for on-campus reptile conservation successful a gradually urbanising world.
The latest survey connected snake diverseness was conducted connected the Tezpur University field successful north-central Assam’s Sonitpur district. The probe yielded 64 snakes belonging to 15 species, representing 18.29% and 2.56% of the full taxon of Assam and India, respectively.
The study, conducted by Mahari Jiumin Basumatary, Anubhav Bhuyan, and Robin Doley, was published successful the latest contented of the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The researchers are with Tezpur University’s Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and the Department of Environmental Science.
“This level of ophidian diverseness connected the Tezpur University field revealed by our survey is comparatively little compared to different assemblage campuses wherever akin studies were carried out,” the researchers noted.
They cited studies conducted connected the campuses of Gauhati University successful 2023, arsenic good arsenic Chennai’s Madras Christian College and Aizawl’s Mizoram University successful 2024.
Najaka Routhia. Photo: Special Arrangement
The Gauhati University survey yielded 19 species, portion 23 and 42 taxon were recorded during the Madras Christian College and Mizoram University studies. The mean fig of taxon crossed these 4 higher acquisition institutes worked retired to 24.75.
The researchers said the script was akin successful India’s neighbourhood. For instance, 36 taxon of snakes belonging to 22 genera and 5 families were reported from Bangladesh’s Chittagong University field successful 2015.
The Tezpur University field has an country of 1.6 sq. km. with a greenish screen of astir 75%, and h2o bodies that service arsenic a location for wildlife, including reptiles. The researchers said the survey was prompted by “numerous chaotic incidents of anxiousness and fearfulness owed to snake sightings”, highlighting the request for the absorption of snake-human antagonistic interactions.
Of the 15 taxon recorded, 9 belonged to the Colubridae family, 3 to Elapidae, 2 to Typhlopidae, and 1 to the Pythonidae family. Among these, 3 — Naja kaouthia, Bungarus fasciatus, and Bungarus lividus — were venomous.
“These findings whitethorn marque a important publication to the absorption of snake-human interactions connected campus. In addition, it whitethorn service arsenic a notation for studies of the interaction of a gradually urbanising satellite connected snake diversity,” the researchers said.
They noted the shrinking greenish screen connected the field owed to operation activities. They besides flagged roadkill arsenic a large situation for the coexistence of herpetofauna connected the Tezpur University campus.
