Sri Lankan flying snake sighted in Andhra

Hyderabad, Jan 3: A flying snake, known to be endemic to Sri Lanka, has been sighted in Andhra Pradesh's Seshachalam forests, forest officials and researchers said. According to researchers, this is the first time that Chrysopelea taprobanica has been sighted outside the island nation. The species, known to be found in dry zone lowlands and parts of the intermediate climatic zones in Sri Lanka, was spotted at the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve in Chittoor district. It was about a year ago that the species was seen in Chalama, a core forest area about 25 km from the hill shrine of Tirumala. Morphological studies and DNA tests proved that it was indeed Chrysopelea taprobanica, which glides by stretching its body into a flattened strip. However, the researchers have revealed this now after Checklist, a journal of biodiversity data, mentioned it in its latest issue.