The Great Nicobar Islands, India, have recently revealed a new species of wolf snake. This non-venomous species is glossy black and can reach up to a meter in length. It is indeed believed to be endemic to the island.
The discovery of this new species was made by researchers R. S.Naveen and S. R. Chandramouli from Pondicherry University, Zeeshan A. Mirza from Max Planck Institute for Biology, and Girish Choure from Pune.
The team published their discovery in the open-access journal Evolutionary Systematics. They named the new species Irwin’s wolf snake or Lycodon irwini, in honor of the late Stephen Robert Irwin. The renowned Australian zookeeper and conservationist inspired naturalists and conservationists worldwide with his passion and dedication to wildlife education and conservation.
What a fitting tribute to an amazing conservationist and wildlife lover. Thank you for honoring Steve Irwin in this special way.