About Red Coral Kukri Snake:
- It is identified as Oligodon kheriensis.
- It is one of the rarest non venomous snake species.
- This nocturnal and fossorial snake is specialized with curved teeth like kukri (Nepalian Knife). Hence, they are called “Kukri”.
- Appearance: Its whole body including the head is uniform bright coral-red without any patterns and the underside is yellowish or pinkish hence it is one of the most distinct snakes of its range.
- Its head is short, not broader than the neck and bears an obtusely pointed snout.
- Distribution: It is widely distributed in lowlands (below 1500ft) of Himalayan foothills from Uttrakhand, Nepal, northern parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal to Sikkim and western Assam.
- Conservation Status
- IUCN: Least Concern (LC)
- Wild Life Protection Act: Schedule –IV
Key Facts about Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
- It is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
- It lies along the India-Nepal border in the foothills of the Himalayas and is part of the Terai Arc Landscape.
- Rivers: The river Gomti originates from the PTR, which is also the catchment of several others like Sharda, Chuka, and Mala Khannot.
- Habitat: The habitat is characterized by dense sal forests and tall alluvial grasslands, savannahs, and impenetrable swamps, maintained by periodic flooding from rivers.
- The Sharda Sagar Dam, extending up to a length of 22 km, is on the boundary of the reserve.
- It has a dry and hot climate, which brings a combination of dry teak forest and Vindhya Mountain soils.
