A new species of snake was accidentally discovered by an amateur photographer taking photos of animals during lockdown.

University graduate Virendar Bhardwaj would post photos of birds, bugs and reptiles he found in his garden in Chamba, northern India, on Instagram.

But it was one photo of a snake he came across on a muddy road that caught the attention of herpetologists.

Virendar tagged the snake as a kukri, a common group of snakes found in the region, which are named after their dagger-like fangs.