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An Instagram photo started the investigation, but it did not by itself establish a new species. After seeing images posted in June 2020, researchers compared the western Himalayan snake’s anatomy with museum specimens and known Asian snakes, then examined DNA sequences. Their work identified Anguiculus dicaprioi as a new species and established the Himalayan genus Anguiculus.
How the Instagram photo became a scientific lead
In June 2020, Virender Bhardwaj encountered a snake near his home in Himachal Pradesh and posted photographs on Instagram. His colleague, researcher Zeeshan Mirza, saw the images. At first glance, the snake resembled Liopeltis rappii, then understood to be an eastern Himalayan species. But differences in the head scales and overall coloration prompted closer investigation.
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The researchers compared the Himachal animals with specimens of L. rappii from Sikkim. They also examined natural-history museum specimens in Europe, the United States, and India, and compared DNA sequences with those of known Asian species. The combined evidence—not the social-media photograph alone—supported the taxonomic conclusion.
What distinguished the snake from its relatives
The scientific description used several anatomical and color-pattern features to diagnose A. dicaprioi. The species has 15 smooth rows of dorsal scales, 177–192 ventral scales, 57–66 subcaudal scales, a divided anal scale, and 6–8 scales bordering the parietal scale. Its back is brownish, with a diffuse collar and dark spots at the nape; its underside is white. The description records 12 functional palatine teeth.
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In comparison with A. rappii, A. dicaprioi has a shorter posterior temporal scale relative to the anterior temporal scale, more scales bordering the parietal scale (6–8 rather than 3–5), and a diffuse collar rather than the broader collar and bars described for A. rappii. It also has 12 rather than 14 palatine teeth. The description distinguishes the creamish-white belly and rounded lateral body edges of A. dicaprioi from the yellow belly and sharper, flatter ventrolateral edge of A. rappii. These are features used in specimen-based identification; they should not be treated as details established from the original Instagram image. The species diagnosis gives the full technical comparison.
Lead author Mirza also described a distinctive skull feature: “The snake differs from most related snake genera in having a pore below the braincase to which muscles or cartilage attach.”
Why the discovery also created a new genus
The researchers named the species Anguiculus dicaprioi and established Anguiculus, a new genus endemic to the Himalayas. The genus name means “small snake” in Latin. They also transferred Liopeltis rappii into the genus as Anguiculus rappii.
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The work therefore revised more than the name of one snake. It also addressed an older classification question involving the colubrid genera Liopeltis and Gongylosoma, which some researchers had treated as the same genus and others as distinct. A 2025 feature described that disagreement as lasting around 180 years, while noting that a lack of DNA data for the type species had prevented resolution.
Two experts unaffiliated with the study highlighted different aspects of its significance. Bryan Fry, a professor at the University of Queensland, called it “a significant discovery in the biodiversity of the western Himalayas: the identification of a new genus of snakes.” Justin M. Bernstein of the American Museum of Natural History said the revised names help accurately reflect ancestry, which matters to downstream research that relies on those classifications.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where the two Anguiculus species are found
As reported in 2025, the genus was then known from two species found above 1,500 metres across the Himalayas. A. dicaprioi was reported from central Nepal to Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. A. rappii was reported from Sikkim, Bhutan, and Arunachal Pradesh. The ranges and genus account are summarized in the 2025 feature; they should be understood as the reported distribution, not as proof that every part of the region has been surveyed.
The western Himalayan snake story is part of a broader picture of continuing species discovery. A separate Instagram post led to the description of Oligodon churahensis, named for the Churah Valley. It is a different species, not a member or synonym of Anguiculus.
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Why Leonardo DiCaprio’s name was used
The paper proposed “DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake” as the common name and named the species A. dicaprioi. The authors said the patronym recognizes Leonardo DiCaprio for raising awareness of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution-related human health issues, as well as supporting field conservation and research.
What is known about its conservation status
The cited accounts do not establish a population estimate, a formal conservation category, or a quantified threat specific to A. dicaprioi. The discovery and reported range alone are not enough to infer whether the species is secure or threatened.
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