Gammie’s Wolf Snake, Once Thought to Be Extinct, Rediscovered in China

Researchers in China have rediscovered the Gammie’s wolf snake (Lycodon gammiei), also know as the Sikkim false wolf snake, in southeastern Xizang, China.

The paper was published in the journal ZooKeys on May 7, 2024. The Gammie’s wolf snake is considered a rare species in that it hasn’t been seen in decades. It is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

“In 2023, we collected a living specimen of L. gammiei in Medog County, southeastern Xizang, China”, the researchers wrote in their paper. “The rediscovery of this species in Xizang not only extends this species’ geographic distribution but also allows the exploration of its systematic position through molecular data.”

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