In 2005, remains of a huge snake millions of years old were found in Kutch, Gujarat. This snake was of Vasuki Indicus species.
Its remains were found from a coal mine in Panandhro village of Lakhpat taluka of Kutch.
This discovery revealed what kind of animals lived in Kutch about 47 million years ago.
There is also a Wood Fossil Park near Dholavira village of Bhachau taluka in the eastern part of Kutch. Some of the old remains found here are considered to be older than Vasuki Indicus.
The remains of trees found in this park are believed to be from the Jurassic period i.e. 200 million to 145 million years ago. This was the era of dinosaurs.
Researchers found the remains of Vasuki Indicus in 2005. But researchers at IIT Roorkee started the work of its correct identification in 2022.
After examining these remains, the researchers published their research article in a journal in April 2024.
After this the world came to know about this huge snake which was about 10 to 11 meters long.
About two and a half years after this research, another rare snake has appeared in Kutch.
The only difference is that this time the snake found is alive. A forest officer of Kutch saw it in very different circumstances.
This rare snake was seen by Jayesh Dumadiya, Range Forest Officer of Bhuj North Range of Kutch East Division of Kutch Forest Department, on the evening of September 6 this year and his team.
Jayesh Dumadia was patrolling with his team in the Kala Dungar area near the Pakistan border. During this time he saw a snake.
Jayesh Dumadia told BBC, "I was transferred from Panchmahal to Kutch in April this year itself. So the wildlife of Kutch is kind of new to me."
"We were patrolling. During this time we saw a snake in a dry area devoid of trees and plants."
"I stopped my Bolero camper van to look at the snake and we went down."
"I know a little about snakes, so I recognized it. It was a black-headed crown snake."
He said, "In Gujarati it is called Rajwadi snake. I had never seen a live Rajwadi snake before."
“I had seen a dead Rajwadi snake earlier. So to get a closer look at this snake and keep its records, we started taking photographs of it.”
He told that the Rajwadi snake became defensive and entered the lower part of his camper van.
What happened next was quite dramatic.
Dumadia said, "We were trying to take out the Rajwadi snake from the car. Meanwhile, in the light, another snake came there."
"This snake looked completely different."
"So our attention shifted away from the Rajwadi snake hiding in the camper van, which was not venomous. We started taking pictures and video of another snake crawling on a layer of salt."
"After some time the snake went away from there."
"To identify it, I sent photographs and videos to experts at the Wildlife Institute of India and other people with knowledge of snakes."
"He told that the snake seen in the pictures is an Afro-Asian sand snake. It is rarely seen in Gujarat."
Dr. Raju Vyas is knowledgeable about snakes and other reptiles. He has worked as an inspector in Vadodara Zoo for many years.
Doctor Raju Vyas tells that the scientific name of this snake which lives in sandy areas is Afro-Asian Sand Snake, Samophis shokari.
According to them, snakes of the Samophis family live in dry and sandy areas.
Doctor Vyas says that snakes of this family are found from Africa to South Asia.
He says that snakes of the Samophis family, Samophis condanarus and Samophis leithi species are also found in India.
Gujarat Forest Department said in a post on social media that Ferdinand Stolichka, who studied nature and animals, had surveyed Kutch while working for the Geological Survey of India in 1871-72.
During this survey, Stolichka caught an Afro-Asian sand snake for study.
He wrote about it considering it to be a separate species of snake. His article was published in the 'Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal' in 1872.
However, it was later revealed that it was an Afro-Asian sand snake.
This snake can be up to about four feet long.
Raju Vyas says, "This snake mainly lives on the ground. But it also climbs low-lying bushes to eat lizards and other creatures."
"This long and thin snake can run very fast on the ground. It eats lizards, insects and other small creatures. Its poison affects creatures like lizards."
"But its poison does not have much effect on humans."
"It is true that Stolichka had recorded the presence of this snake in Kutch in 1871-72."
"Even after this, there are records of sighting of this snake in Kutch. Jugal Kishore Tiwari also has its pictures."
Jugal Kishore Tiwari is knowledgeable about the birds living in Kutch.
He told the BBC, "In 2009, I saw this snake in Lodai village, located in the eastern part of the Banni grasslands."
"I also took pictures of it. Experts identified it as an Afro-Asian sand snake."
"However, this snake is rarely seen. After that I never saw this snake again."
Range Forest Officer Jayesh Dumadia said that it seemed that both the snakes were moving from dry land towards a waterlogged area in the Great Rann of Kutch.
He told the BBC, "The Rajwadi snake is also considered to be a very rarely seen snake in Gujarat."
"It is a very rare occurrence for a Rajawadi snake and an Afro-Asian sand snake to be seen together in the same place."
“After September 6, we checked the same area two-three times, but neither of the snakes was seen again.”
"Eventually we were able to get him out of the camper van safely."
Dr Dheeraj Mittal, a senior official of the Kutch Forest Department, told the BBC: "The range forest officer has recorded photographs and videos of the Afro-Asian sand snake. This shows that many different types of wildlife are found in Kutch."
"We will write to the editors of scientific journals about this and try to include this information in their records as well."
