Living with snakes

11th March, 2018

 Malhar snake group

• Active since 2015

• Aim of coexistence, education and awareness
• Incidents of unnecessary snake-killing greatly reduced
• Combination of residents, security, garden staff,
support staff
• In-depth theory sessions with PFA for interested
persons
• All snakes released as soon as possible, without
relocating far from the home range
 Understanding snakes
Life cycle & ecology

• Successfully colonised most of the planet, from the

oceans to rainforests and deserts
• Found on land, on trees, underground and in water
• Can go relatively long between meals
• Mostly egg-layers, newborns hatch in monsoon
• Will sometimes defend themselves but prefer to avoid
humans
 Understanding snakes
Their senses

• Excellent vision and “smell” (from their tongues)

• Detect vibrations through the ground
• Some can detect heat signatures (few vipers, pythons)
• Completely deaf
 Understanding snakes
Importance & role in environment

• Unparalleled in rodent control

• Keep prey populations in check
• Reduces spread of disease & crop damage
• Will also feed on frogs, lizards, birds
 Understanding snakes
Behaviour

• Most active during summer (mating period) and

monsoon (newborns hatch)
• Often seen just after a rain
• Tend to avoid midday temperatures
• Excellent escape artists and extremely good at hiding
• Prefer not to attack larger animals unless provoked
 Types of snakes
And some common species

• Most snakes are completely harmless

• Around 12-15 common species around Bangalore
• Only 4 of these are venomous (Big Four)
• All our venomous species have harmless mimics
• Each species active at a certain time of day
Common Krait Spectacled Cobra

Saw-scaled Viper Russell’s Viper

The Big Four
Spectacled Cobra
Naja naja
 Spectacled Cobra
Naja naja

• Active by day and night

• Commonly found near houses
• Spreads ribs to make hood
• Hisses loudly
• Generally prefers to give a warning - bites only as last
resort
• Responsible for many dry bites
• Most commonly seen of all the Big Four around Malhar
Common Krait
Bungarus caeruleus
 Common Krait
Bungarus caeruleus

• Only comes out at night

• Shy by day, can be active and aggressive at night
• Most toxic venom of all Big Four
• Bite not painful, symptoms take hours to show
• Feeds mostly on other snakes and frogs
• Most active between June and November
• Not seen often around Malhar
Russell’s Viper
Daboia russelii
 Russell’s Viper
Daboia russelii
• Nocturnal in the summer, diurnal in the winter
• Large, heavy-bodied, powerful & sluggish. Likely to
stand its ground rather than flee
• When threatened will curl into a ball and hiss loudly
• Slow-moving but can strike extremely fast and
forcefully
• Unpredictable behaviour
• Responsible for most bites of the Big Four
• Fairly common, especially in Nov-Feb
• Rarely near houses, often in farms
Saw scaled Viper
Echis carinatus
 Saw scaled Viper
Echis carinatus

• Nocturnal
• Very small, usually only about 30 cm in size
• Easily camouflaged against brown soil
• When threatened rubs scales to make “sizzling” noise
similar to hissing, sits in characteristic pose
• Extremely fast strikes but very short range due to size
• Can be quite aggressive if provoked
• Inhabits dry land with thorny shrubs away from houses
• Becoming rare around Bangalore, only one individual
seen in near Malhar in 2016
Striped Keelback Checkered Keelback

Common Trinket
Common, harmless snakes

Common Kukri Indian Rat Snake

 How to avoid snakes
and snakebite

• Keep grass / shrubs cut short near paths

• Remove piles of trash, stone, wood, etc.
• Dispose of waste hygienically (keeps rats away)
• Wear footwear and only walk where you can see the
ground
• Look before you reach
• Use a torch after dark
• Make sure paths are well-lit
• Fill in cracks in stone walls
 If you see a snake outside
Do
• Keep a safe distance (at least 2 metres)
• Alert other people nearby
• Keep kids and pets away
• Leave it alone - it will go on its way in time

Don’t
• Corner the animal
• Try to catch / kill it / shoo it away
• Take unnecessary risks for a photograph
 If you see a snake indoors
Do
• Keep a safe distance
• Try to identify the snake (photographs, description)
• Call security / helpline numbers
• Make sure the snake is released close by, immediately

Don’t
• Try to catch the snake yourself (if untrained)
• Make any sudden movements
• Let it out of your sight
 Source - Green Humour / Rohan Chakravarty
http://www.greenhumour.com/2016/08/snake-myths-busted.html
Common myths in India

Source - Green Humour / Rohan Chakravarty

http://www.greenhumour.com/2016/08/snake-myths-busted.html
Common myths in India

Source - Green Humour / Rohan Chakravarty

http://www.greenhumour.com/2016/08/snake-myths-busted.html
Common myths in India

Source - Green Humour / Rohan Chakravarty

http://www.greenhumour.com/2016/08/snake-myths-busted.html
Common myths in India

Source - Green Humour / Rohan Chakravarty

http://www.greenhumour.com/2016/08/snake-myths-busted.html
Common myths in India

Source - Green Humour / Rohan Chakravarty

http://www.greenhumour.com/2016/08/snake-myths-busted.html
Common myths in India

Source - Green Humour / Rohan Chakravarty

http://www.greenhumour.com/2016/08/snake-myths-busted.html
Common myths in India

Source - Green Humour / Rohan Chakravarty

http://www.greenhumour.com/2016/08/snake-myths-busted.html
Common myths in India

Source - Green Humour / Rohan Chakravarty

http://www.greenhumour.com/2016/08/snake-myths-busted.html
Common myths in India

Source - Green Humour / Rohan Chakravarty

http://www.greenhumour.com/2016/08/snake-myths-busted.html