New Worm-Eating Snake Trachischium lalremsangai Described From Indo–Burma Hotspot

Researchers used field collection, DNA analysis, and re‑examination of museum specimens to confirm a distinct fossorial snake and underscore gaps in regional biodiversity research.

Overview

Scientists published the formal description of Trachischium lalremsangai in the journal Herpetozoa, designating a holotype from Murlen National Park in Mizoram, India and a paratype from Haka Township in Chin State, Myanmar.
The team combined DNA data with detailed scale counts and morphology to show the new species is distinct from the related Trachischium reticulata.
Key diagnostic traits include 13 dorsal scale rows, two postoculars, temporals in a 1+2 arrangement, about 135 ventral scales and 28–29 paired subcaudals, with adults about 351–432 mm in snout–vent length.
Trachischium snakes are small, fossorial, earthworm‑eating reptiles that are often missed by surveys, so this discovery highlights how little is known about subterranean snake diversity and natural history in the Indo–Burma hotspot.
The species name honors Prof. Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga for his work in northeast India, and the find shows that targeted fieldwork plus museum re‑examination can reveal overlooked species and argue for more local research support and collection studies.