A team of herpetologists has announced the discovery of a new species of wolf snake, endemic to Great Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal. Irwin’s wolf snake, or Lycodon irwini, pays tribute to renowned wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin.
This discovery is the culmination of more than a decade of scientific research, beginning with a lone snake spotted in 2010 and initially identified as the Malayan wolf snake. But when two more uniformly jet-black individuals were later found, lacking the white crossbands typical of the Malayan species, researchers realised they didn’t match any known species from the region.
With recent morphological and genetic comparisons, it was soon confirmed that these snakes represent a new species, found only on Great Nicobar Island.
Wildlife conservationist Terri Irwin said, “Our family is tremendously honoured that a new species of wolf snake was named in honour of Steve and his important message of conservation.”
“We are proud of the vital research conducted by R.S. Naveen that has revealed and aims to protect this extraordinary species, safeguarding Irwin’s wolf snake,” said Terri.
Researcher R. S. Naveen recalls encountering one individual, “The snake displayed an interesting behaviour by wagging its tail, similar to vipers. At one point, it even raised its entire tail and moved it from side to side, almost like a dog.”
“The first word that popped into my mind was ‘Crikey,’ a word often used by my childhood hero, Steve Irwin,” said Naveen.
“Steve inspired my passion for herpetofaunal conservation, and I had always hoped to name a species after him,” he said.
Irwin’s wolf snake has been sighted only four times across Great Nicobar Island, which covers just 921 square kilometers. Much of its ecology, behavior, and population status remains unknown.
As the species is confined to a single island and faces mounting threats from proposed large-scale development projects, the research team recommends that Irwin’s wolf snake be classified as Endangered in the upcoming IUCN Red List assessments.
“Just as Steve Irwin inspired millions to care about wildlife, we hope Lycodon irwini will become a symbol for conservation in this region,” said R. S. Naveen.
“By acting as an umbrella species, efforts to protect its habitat will also safeguard numerous other endemic species that share the island,” he said.
