New species of venomous snake registered from Northeast

• A venomous green snake which is new to science is found in Meghalaya state of North east

About the Green Snake

• It has been named as Maya’s Pit Viper
• It is believed to allude to maya, meaning the supernatural powers, or the illusion related to local legends.
• It used to be referred to as either the Pope’s Pit Viper (Trimeresurus popeiorum) or Gumprecht’s Green Pit Viper (Trimeresurus gumprechti) until it was observed closely at the Umroi Military Station near the Meghalaya capital of Shillong
• It is recorded simultaneously in Mizoram state

Significance of finding new species of Venomous snake

• The discovery of a new venomous snake means a lot in the context of public health
• As 1.2 million people have lost their lives owing to snakebite and many more have lost their limbs in the last two decades
• Venom is a complex protein, mostly typical to a species and thus unravelling a new species will help understanding its venom and its impact on human life and perhaps will help save lives

Exam Track

Prelims Takeaway

• Maya's Pit viper
• Venom