New species of snake named after Steve Irwin

A new species of wolf snake was named after Steve Irwin, the late Australian zookeeper and wildlife educator. The serpent was discovered on India’s Great Nicobar Island, just north of Sumatra. The Irwin’s wolf snake (Lycodon irwini) can grow up to a meter in length, is nonvenomous and feeds on amphibians, mammals and other reptiles. Although the species was just discovered, the researchers suggest it should be considered endangered because it’s likely only found on Great Nicobar. When describing the species in Evolutionary Systematics, the authors wrote about Irwin’s influence on the discovery: “His passion and dedication to wildlife education and conservation have inspired naturalists and conservationists worldwide, including the authors of the paper.”