A snake species known as the Sistan sand boa has been scientifically recorded in India for the first time after researchers identified three specimens in Rajasthan’s Sikar district.
The Sistan sand boa (Eryx sistanensis) is a non-venomous, thick-bodied snake known from dry regions of Iran and Pakistan. Researchers Vivek Sharma of Jabalpur and wildlife biologist Dharmendra Khandal of Tiger Watch found the three snakes during a survey in the Ramgarh-Shekhawati region of Sikar in 2025. Their findings were published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa on May 26, 2026.