First Record of Albino Common Kukri Snake (Oligodon arnensis) (Shaw, 1802) from Uttarakhand, India
Vipul Maurya
*
Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, India.
Pravesh Kumar
Quick Response Team (QRT), Uttarakhand Forest Department, 248001, India.
Ramesh Chand
Uttarakhand Forest Department, Village Bulandawala, Dudli, Dehradun, 248140, India.
Nitish Mani Tripathi
Uttarakhand Forest Department, 248001, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The discovery of an albino Oligodon arnensis in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, marks a significant addition to the known distribution of this species. Previously, Oligodon arnensis, a rare variant of the kukri snake, had been observed only once before in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, making this find particularly noteworthy. Such records are crucial for understanding the biodiversity and distribution patterns of reptiles in India, contributing to the conservation efforts and scientific knowledge of herpetofauna in the region.
Keywords: New Record, albino, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, snake, kukri snake