Xylophis Deepaki
Source : The Hindu
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Why in News?

Xylophis Deepaki the species is named in honour of Indian herpetologist Deepak Veerappan for his contribution in erecting a new subfamily Xylophiinae to accommodate wood snakes.

• The team suggests the common name Deepak’s wood snake.

Key Facts

• Xylophis deepaki first seen in a coconut plantation in Kanyakumari
  • It is now reported to be an endemic species of Tamil Nadu
  • It has been sighted in a few locations in the southern part of the Western Ghats.
  • It is a is a tiny snake of just 20 cm length
• In the first four months of 2021 the Western Ghats presented new butterflies frogs, fruit flies and a freshwater crab.
• The new find increases the total number of currently recognised wood snakes to five species.
  • Very little information is available on the precise distributions of each species, their natural history, population status, feeding and reproductive ecology, and conservation status.
• The new species is found in the drier regions and in lower altitudes around Agasthyamalai hills.
  • The other Xylophis were reported from cold higher altitudes, of 1,700 m and above, in the Nilgiris and the Anaimalai Hills.
  • Its close relative, Captain’s wood snake, is known from the western slopes of the Western Ghats in the Kerala.

Xylophis Species

• Xylophis is a small genus of snakes in the family Pareidae, a small snake largely found in South Asia.
• The genus contains five species
  • Xylophis captaini Gower & Winkler : Captain’s wood snake, Captain’s xylophis
  • Xylophis deepaki :  Deepak’s wood snake
  • Xylophis mosaicus : Anamalai wood snake
  • Xylophis perroteti : Perrotet’s mountain snake, striped narrow headed snake
  • Xylophis stenorhynchus : Gunther’s mountain snake
• All of which are endemic to the Western Ghats in southern India.

Wood snakes

• Wood snakes are harmless, subfossorial and often found while digging soil in farms and under the logs in the Western Ghat forests.
• They feed on earthworms and possibly other invertebrates.
• Close  relatives of the species are found in northeast India and Southeast Asia and are known to be arboreal.

Agasthyamalai hills

• Tall peak in the Western Ghats of South India and a part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
  • Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is among 20 new sites added by UNESCO.
• It lies on the border between the Indian states of Kerala in Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts and Tamil Nadu in Kanyakumari district, Tirunelveli district.
• Religious Importance : Pilgrimage centre for devotees of the Hindu sage Agastya who is considered to be one of the seven rishis (Saptarishi) of Hindu Puranas. 

Nilgiri Mountains

• Nilgiri Mountains form part of the Western Ghats in western Tamil Nadu, India.
• At least 24 of the Nilgiri Mountains peaks are above 2,000 metres
  • The highest peak being Doddabetta, at 2,637 metres.
• Three national parks border portions of the Nilgiri mountains.
  • Mudumalai National Park
  • Mukurthi National Park
  • Silent Valley National Park
• Nilgiri Hills are part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve a part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Anaimalai Hills

• Anaimalai or Anamala Hills mountains that form the southern portion of the Western Ghats.
• It had span the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Southern India.
• Also known as the Elephant Mountains.
• Currently under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site.

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