New wolf snake honors the late Steve Irwin
Conservationists have discovered a previously unknown species of snake slithering through one of Earth’s most unique environments. In naming their new reptile, the researchers decided to honor one of popular culture’s most unique and beloved wildlife educators: the late Steve Irwin.
The snake was discovered in the Nicobar Islands. Located in the Bay of Bengal, near mainland India, the archipelago is home to a wide range of species found nowhere else in the world. In 2003, UNESCO added Great Nicobar Island to its protected list of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves due to its large number of endemic species. Recently, researchers discovered another animal that further enhances the reputation of the island chain. According to its description in the newspaper Evolutionary systematicsthe Nicobar Islands are home to another non-venomous wolf snake now taxonomically classified as Lycodon irwini.
L. irwiniSteve Irwin’s namesake gained cultural notoriety in the late 1990s and early 2000s after the debut of his nature show, The crocodile hunter. However, Irwin was more than a television personality. The son of the founders of the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park in Australia, Irwin grew up surrounded by all kinds of crocodiles and other reptile species. Irwin took over from his parents in 1991 and later renamed the park Australia Zoo in 1998. Along with his wife and fellow naturalist, Teri, they have passionately promoted a love of nature, wildlife and conservation for years through the zoo itself and numerous television series, specials and even a feature film. Steve Irwin tragically died in 2006 after a short-tailed stingray barb pierced his chest while working alongside Phillipe Cousteau, Jr., in the Great Barrier Reef.
“His passion and dedication to wildlife education and conservation inspired naturalists and conservationists around the world, including the authors of the article,” the researchers wrote in their study.
L. irwini is a non-venomous shiny black snake that can grow up to 3.3 feet long. They probably feed on other reptiles as well as small mammals and amphibians, and are probably endemic to Great Nicobar Island. Given its limited range and constant threats from humans, researchers suggest that L. irwini be considered an endangered species.
“New species continue to be discovered, as evidenced by Lycodon irwinihighlighting continued advances in taxonomy and incomplete understanding of the diversity and distribution of herpetofauna in the region,” the study authors wrote.
L. irwini isn’t the only animal named in honor of the late conservationist. Australia alone has at least three species with taxonomic dedications to Irwin: a turtle (Elseya Irwini), a microscopic parasite of koala blood (Trypanosoma irwini), and even a little aptly named snail Irwini Crikey. There’s also a small, fast-moving rainforest spider named Terri Irwin, Leichhartdeus terriirwinae. Although their children, Bindi and Robert, follow in their footsteps, it is unclear if a species is named after them. Maybe that will finally change – depending on how Robert has performed during the current season of Dancing with the stars go.
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