The documentation of three live specimens in Rajasthan marks the species' first confirmed presence in India, shifting its known range beyond Iran and Pakistan. Found near agricultural fields and settlements rather than desert dunes, the reptile appears adaptable to human-altered environments. Although formally separated from the Indian red sand boa in 2020 based on tail shape, coloration, and scale patterns, identifying younger individuals remains difficult. Unconfirmed sightings suggest this reptile may already inhabit wider stretches of northwestern India.
Key points
The discovery indicates the species may already possess an undocumented distribution acro…: The discovery indicates the species may already possess an undocumented distribution across Punjab, Haryana, and other parts of Rajasthan.
Identifying juvenile specimens remains difficult because their physical characteristics c…: Identifying juvenile specimens remains difficult because their physical characteristics closely parallel those of the Indian red sand boa.
Heightened conservation measures are necessary to shield the population from illegal wild…: Heightened conservation measures are necessary to shield the population from illegal wildlife trade driven by superstition.
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A snake species that is known to have inhabited parts of Iran and Pakistan has now been officially recorded in India’s diverse list of reptiles. Three live Sistan sand boas have reportedly been recorded in Rajasthan. Found in the northern parts of the Thar Desert, the three snakes were documented in the Sikar district of Rajasthan. Their discovery has now offered researchers an opportunity to understand the distribution of a species whose presence may have gone unnoticed in the past few years.
According to a
research paper published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa on May 26, 2026, researchers Vivek Sharma and Dharmendra Khandal have documented the presence of the Sistan sand boa (Eryx sistanensis) in India, making this the first confirmed record of the species in the country.
The first snake was documented on August 19, 2025, at around 9:30 pm, inside a cowshed near Goshala. The second was found on September 12 in Sunda ki Dhani, after a local boy caught the snake in his courtyard and had been playing with it before it was taken to safety.…
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