Meerut, May 6 -- Dudhwa Tiger Reserve has scored a first of sorts in wildlife documentation with the first-ever photographic record of the Condanarus Sand Snake (Psammophis condanarus) in the state. The discovery was made during a routine patrol in the reserve's free-ranging rhino area when a joint team from the forest department and WWF India, comprising biologist Apoorv Gupta, junior assistant Sushant Singh, and WWF India representative Rohit Ravi, were conducting regular monitoring along a jungle road, officials said on Monday. The team spotted a deceased snake near a grassland area. Noting its distinct colouration and body structure, Gupta captured high-quality photographs , with Singh and Ravi contributing additional images for documentation. The photographs were sent to herpetology expert Vipin Kapoor Sainy, who confirmed the snake's identity. "Commonly found in dry regions of northern and peninsular India, Nepal, and Pakistan, this snake preys on small reptiles and rodents. Until this discovery, the species had never been photographically documented in Uttar Pradesh," Sainy said....