New worm-eating snake species named after Mizoram herpetologist

Trachischium lalremsangai is a new worm-eating snake species described in the journal Herpetozoa on 19 May 2026. The species was named after Professor Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga of Mizoram University, and the type material was linked to specimens from Mizoram and Myanmar.

Taxonomy of Trachischium

Trachischium is a genus of slender snakes in the family Colubridae. The genus includes worm-eating snakes found in north-east India and the Himalayas, and Trachischium lalremsangai is the eleventh recognised species in the genus.

Discovery and specimen records

The first specimen was found during an expedition to Murlen National Park in Mizoram near the India-Myanmar border. A second specimen, collected in 2007 from Chin State in Myanmar, was identified in September 2025 in the collections of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

Diagnostic features and naming

The species has a light-brown belly, two scales behind the eye, smooth iridescent scales, and a brown body with a white-speckled underside. The name lalremsangai honours Professor Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga for his work in herpetology, student mentorship, and research collaboration in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.

Important Facts for Exams

• Trachischium belongs to the group commonly called worm-eating snakes or slender snakes.
• Murlen National Park is located in Mizoram, a state in north-east India.
• The California Academy of Sciences is a scientific institution based in San Francisco, United States.
• The Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot is one of the recognised biodiversity hotspots of Asia.

Herpetology in India

Herpetology is the branch of zoology that studies reptiles and amphibians. Mizoram University has been associated with field research on reptiles from the north-eastern region of India.