Zeeshan Mirza

Zeeshan Ayaz Mirza (born March 1988) is an Indian herpetologist and arachnologist, who is a doctoral candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Biology in Tübingen, Germany. Specializing in systematics, molecular phylogenetics, and taxonomy, Mirza is recognized for having described more than 60 new species of reptiles and arachnids, including snakes, tarantulas, geckos, and scorpions.

His discoveries include species of significant media interest, such as the snake Trimeresurus salazar, named after the Harry Potter character Salazar Slytherin, and Anguiculus dicaprioi, named in reference to actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Mirza also described the tarantula genus Cilantica in 2024, endemic to the Western Ghats of India. His research focuses primarily on the biodiversity of the Western Ghats and the Himalayas, two of India's most important biogeographic regions. His interest in nature developed from childhood, when he explored local biodiversity and conducted snake rescues in the Mumbai metropolitan area. Despite this shift in research area, he maintains active collaborations in herpetology and arachnology, continuing to describe new species and revise complex taxonomic groups.

Career and research

Mirza's scientific career began in earnest during his undergraduate studies, when he started documenting the reptile and arachnid fauna near Mumbai. His first taxonomic paper on snakes not only described a new species but also established a new genus, marking the beginning of a series of significant contributions to Asian vertebrate and invertebrate systematics. At this institution, he developed much of his research in reptile and arachnid systematics, with emphasis on integrative approaches combining morphology, molecular phylogenetics, and biogeographic analysis.

His field research spans various regions of India, with special focus on the Western Ghats and the Himalayas. Between 2014 and 2024, Mirza conducted extensive expeditions through states including Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. A single month-and-a-half expedition to Arunachal Pradesh in 2019, for example, resulted in the discovery of three new snake species, two new bent-toed gecko species, and an entirely new genus of lizards. The species was discovered near Pakke Tiger Reserve and is characterized by a unique orange-red stripe along the head and body of males. The name choice was motivated by Slytherin being a wizard capable of speaking to snakes (Parselmouth) and founder of Slytherin House, whose symbol is a serpent. The discovery was initiated when a photograph of the snake was posted on Instagram by Virender Bhardwaj in June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mirza, upon viewing the image in his timeline, recognized it as a potentially new species, leading to three years of detailed investigations that confirmed not only a new species but an entirely new genus, Anguiculus. The species Wallaceophis gujaratensis was discovered in Gujarat, a region considered less biodiverse in India, highlighting the need for scientific exploration in neglected areas. Mirza is a great admirer of Wallace, stating that "everybody knows Darwin, but nobody knows his contemporary genius, Wallace".

Tarantulas

In 2024, Mirza published a comprehensive systematic revision of the subfamily Thrigmopoeinae, endemic to the Western Ghats, describing the genus Cilantica and four new tarantula species. The work involved detailed morphological and phylogenetic analyses, transferring species previously classified in other genera and establishing new taxonomic relationships within the group. The discovery highlighted the rich diversity of arachnids in the Palakkad Gap region, an important biogeographic discontinuity in the Western Ghats.

Mirza has also worked extensively with other arachnid groups, including spiders of the family Dipluridae and various scorpion genera. His arachnology research is frequently developed in collaboration with Rajesh Sanap, with whom he has published numerous papers on Indian spider taxonomy and systematics.

Geckos and other reptiles

During a single month-and-a-half expedition to Arunachal Pradesh in 2019, Mirza discovered 12 new species of geckos in the genus Cnemaspis, demonstrating the extraordinary undocumented diversity of the region. In 2023, he described Gekko mizoramensis, a parachute gecko from Mizoram, characterized by extensive interdigital membranes that allow it to glide between trees. Mirza also named the gecko Hemidactylus vijayraghavani in honor of K. VijayRaghavan, then Principal Scientific Advisor to the Indian government and a professor who granted him laboratory space at NCBS.

Awards and recognition

At age 22, Mirza was awarded the Vincent Roth Award by the American Arachnological Society in 2009, recognizing his exceptional contributions to arachnology at a young age. The following year, he received the Sanctuary Asia - RBS Young Naturalist Award in 2010, a prize granted by the Sanctuary Nature Foundation to young Indian conservationists with significant contributions to the country's biodiversity knowledge. At the time of the award, Mirza had already published more than 20 scientific papers and accumulated field experience equivalent to that of researchers twice his age.

Mirza is a member of several IUCN Species Survival Commission specialist groups, including the Spider and Scorpion Specialist Group, the Skink Specialist Group, and the Snake Specialist Group, participating in conservation status assessments of threatened species. He also serves as associate editor of the scientific journal Herpetology Notes, contributing to peer review of manuscripts on reptile and amphibian systematics and ecology.

His scientific output includes over 70 papers published in high-impact journals such as PLOS ONE, Zoosystematics and Evolution, Scientific Reports, and PeerJ, with 857 citations recorded on Google Scholar. Mirza is internationally recognized as one of the leading authorities on reptile and arachnid biodiversity of the Indian subcontinent.

Conservation and activism

Mirza is a vocal advocate for Indian biodiversity conservation and a critic of illegal wildlife trade. An emblematic example he cites is that of Haploclastus devamatha (currently Cilantica devamatha), a tarantula scientifically described in 2014 that appeared for sale in international pet markets only eight months after its original description. This pattern repeats with other rare species, which quickly become targets of illegal collectors once their locations are published in scientific papers.

To mitigate this problem, Mirza adopts the practice of omitting precise geographic coordinates in his publications, providing only general locality information. He also advocates for requiring valid collection permits as a prerequisite for manuscript submission to scientific journals, and for encouraging consumption of certified captive-bred specimens rather than potentially smuggled animals from developing countries.

In an interview with Mongabay in 2025, Mirza expressed concern about human population growth as the main threat to biodiversity. When asked about the biggest challenge for conservation in India, he stated: "The increasing number of humans. Nature cannot coexist with humanity, especially in the way we humans currently are. Without effective population policies in the country, species will continue to decline". Despite this somber view, Mirza remains optimistic about discovering new species, noting that dedicated expeditions continue to reveal previously unknown biodiversity even in seemingly well-studied regions.

During his studies in Mumbai, Mirza conducted educational tours at Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey Milk Colony, introducing people to local biodiversity and promoting conservation awareness. He remains active on social media, sharing scientific discoveries and educating the public about the importance of preserving Indian fauna and flora.

Selected publications