Herpetologist Deepak Veerappan has a snake named after him

The Western Ghats presented new butterflies, frogs, fruit flies, and even a freshwater crab in the first four months of 2021. Herpetologist Deepak Veerappan has a snake named after him.

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Joining the list is a tiny snake of just 20 cm length with iridescent scales – Xylophis deepaki, first stumbled upon in a coconut plantation in Kanyakumari, is now reported to be an endemic species of Tamil Nadu and has been sighted in a few locations in the southern part of the Western Ghats.

The species is named in honour of Indian herpetologist Deepak Veerappan for his contribution in erecting a new subfamily Xylophiinae to accommodate wood snakes.

The team suggests the common name Deepak’s wood snake.