Rainbow-coloured snake identified in Munnar

A team of herpetologists recently identified a snake that has the colours of the rainbow

The recently-recognised rainbow-coloured snake in Munnar

When Seegirl Renjith Hadlee was looking for the tiny Anaimalai night frog among the moist rock formations in Munnar, she spotted something shiny. She knew it was not the frog and inched forward to take a closer look. Seegirl was dazzled by what she saw amid the leaf litter — an iridescent snake.

She alerted the rest of the team, naturalist and Kerala Tourism guide Hadlee Renjith (her husband), Wildlife Assistant, Munnar, Salish Menachery, and herping enthusiasts Murali Mohan and wife Mrithula Murali.

Endemic to Western Ghats

Belonging to the genus Melanophidium , the non-venomous snakes, also known as shield tail snakes, are endemic to the Western Ghats, says Hadlee, who led the herping team of five. The snake is largely nocturnal, and appears to be black in colour. But when light falls on it, it displays the colours of the rainbow. “It appears to be bright blue at once, soon splitting into violet and indigo and the rest of the colours in the VIBGYOR spectrum,” says Hadlee.

The

Melanophidium genus has four recognised species and this snake could be the fifth, says Hadlee. It is only about 20 cm in length and is thinner one’s pinkie finger. A fossorial species (living primarily underground) these come out mainly during the rainy season. Apart from this recently-described species, four other species have been recognised in the Melanophidium genus. All of them are characterised by their smooth and glossy skin.

Interest in herping

Seegirl, his wife, has been accompanying Hadlee on his herping tours over four years now and they work as a team. While Hadlee does the photography and guides the guests on photography, Seegirl checks for the species.

Herping has caught on especially since the lockdown and many are now drawn to the secretive world of frogs and snakes, says Hadlee. The photographs are taken using flash diffusers so as not to startle the creatures and cause minimum interference, he adds.