The Salazar Pit Viper, which gained fame from the Hollywood blockbuster Harry Potter for its name Salazar Slytherin, has been discovered in Kaziranga National Park, Assam. Pit vipers are known as one of the most venomous snakes in the world, easily identified by the heat-sensing pit organ located between their eye and nostril.
Kaziranga National Park is a hub for discovering new species every season. Spotted on a highway, the vibrantly green Salazar Pit Viper has added to the park's captivating biodiversity. The park hosts over 24 amphibian and more than 74 reptilian species, making it a spectacular ecotourism destination worth celebrating.
Source: aajtak
This newly identified Salazar Pit Viper species in Kaziranga glistens with an emerald sheen, topped by red-orange stripes. Previously observed in Arunachal Pradesh, its resemblance to the Harry Potter universe's Salazar Slytherin led to its current name. This marks the fifth reptile species discovered in the Northeastern region in less than a year.
Source: aajtak
The beauty of this serpent lies not only in its color but also in its markings of red, orange, yellow, and gold colors, contrasting with a darker green head. The discovery, a result of collaborative research by scientists from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, the Bombay Natural History Society, and others, has been published in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.
Source: aajtak
Kaziranga National Park is a unique wilderness with grasslands, wetlands, floodplains, and steep slopes, spread over 1,307 square kilometers. Its rich ecosystem offers an ideal habitat for mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles, making it one of India's most significant wildlife tourist attractions. It is also recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
