A 19th-Century Specimen in ZSI museum reveals a new national record of Yunnan keelback
The Statesman | 3 December 2025
In a remarkable discovery that bridges colonial-era natural history with modern biodiversity research, scientists at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata, have confirmed the presence of the Yunnan Keelback (Fowlea yunnanensis) within India’s administrative boundaries for the first time.
During a recent examination of historical collections, researchers from the Reptilia Section of ZSI, namely Sumidh Ray, Anirban Das and Dr Pratyush Mohapatra, identified one of the original specimens collected by renowned naturalist Dr John Anderson during the 1868 Yunnan Expedition. Anderson had described the variety “yunanensis” in 1879 based on three specimens deposited in the Asiatic Society of Bengal’s Indian museum, which were later transferred to the ZSI (voucher numbers ZSI-R- 4191, 4192 & 4196). One of these original specimens has now been formally designated as a “Lectotype” by the research team.
In addition to this historical identification, the team uncovered seven more specimens (collectively catalogued under voucher number ZSI-R-24039) preserved in the Reptilia Section. These specimens were collected from Gibbon’s Land in Namdapha Tiger Reserve, approximately 16 km east of Miao in Arunachal Pradesh, by the former scientist of ZSI, Dr S Biswas & team on December 22, 1982. Careful re-examination has confirmed them as Yunnan Keelback, providing the first verified record of the species from India.
The Yunnan Keelback is currently known from southwestern China (Yunnan Province) and northeastern India (Arunachal Pradesh), with its range likely extending into adjoining areas of Myanmar. This discovery underscores the enduring scientific value of museum collections and highlights the importance of revisiting historical specimens using modern taxonomic insights, informed Dr Pratyush P Mohapatra, the officer-in-charge of the Reptilia Section of ZSI.
ZSI Director Dr Dhriti Banerjee remarked that the organisation is intensifying faunal surveys across India’s border States, including Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. “These focused surveys are crucial not only for discovering and documenting new species, but also for confirming the presence of species within India’s administrative boundaries,” she said, emphasising the importance of such efforts in strengthening the nation’s biodiversity knowledge base. She added that earlier this year, the ZSI signed a MoU with the Indian Army to strengthen biodiversity exploration in frontier regions. Through its regional centres in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, and Jodhpur, Rajasthan, ZSI will collaborate with armed forces personnel to undertake extensive faunal surveys across India’s border areas, enhancing both scientific understanding and conservation planning.