POISONOUS SNAKES IN INDIA
1. King Cobra
Scientific name: Ophiophagus hannah
King cobra is the third largest snake in India. King cobra is one of the most courageous, poisonous and aggressive snake. The body is blackish brown with lighter bands running throughout its entire length. Their hood is relatively less inflatable than that of the Indian cobra. Mating has been observed in march, with copulation lasting for about an hour. The eggs are laid 5-6 weeks after mating. A maximum of 51 eggs have been recorded. King cobras can reach 18feet (5.5 meters) in length, making them the longest of all venomous snakes. When confronted, they can rise up to one-third of their bodies straight off the ground and still move forward to attack. They will also flare out their iconic hoods and emit a bone-chilling hiss that sound almost like a growling dog. Their venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the amount of neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite up to 7ml that is enough to kill 20people or an elephant.
2. Indian Cobra
Scientific name: Naja naja
Indian cobra is one of the most poisonous snakes found in India. The cobra has the most distinctive features as its hood. There are three races mainly the Indian Spectacled Cobra (Naja naja naja, the mono-ocellate cobra (Naja naja kaouthia) and the Black Cobra. Cobra feeds principally on rats, frogs and toads, but can also take in lizards and snakes and also earthworm, ants, cockroaches and eggs. Mating occurs in January and 12-22 eggs are laid in April-May. The eggs hatch within 45 to 69 days.
3. Russell’s Viper
Scientific name: Daboia russelii
This is a medium to large sized snake with a characteristic bright pattern on its body. Found all over India, both in the plains and hills up to an elevation of about 3,000 meters. This is snake grows to a maximum length of 166 cm. The average length is about 120 cm on the mainland, although island populations do not attain this size. The head is flattened, triangular and distinct from the neck. The snout is blunt, rounded and raised. The nostrils are large, in the middle of large, single nasal scale. The lower edge of the nasal touches the naso-rostral. The supra-nasal has a strong crescent shape and separate the nasal from the naso rostral from the anterior. The rostral is a broad as it is high. The body is stout, the cross-section of which is rounded to cylindrical. The dorsal scales are strongly keeled; only the lower row is smooth. It feeds primarily on rodents, especially murid species. However, they will eat just about anything, including rats, mice shrews, squirrels, domestic cats, land crabs, scorpions and other arthropods. Adults are reported to be persistently slow and sluggish unless pushed beyond certain limit, after which they become fierce and aggressive. Juveniles, on the other hand, are generally more active and will bite with minimal provocation.
4. Saw-scaled Viper
Scientific name: Echis carinatus
A small sized snake found all over India, usually in the plains. They may occur in the areas as high as 2000 meter in the north-western Himalayans. Size ranges between 38cm and 80cm in length, but usually no more than 60cm. Head distinct from neck, snout very short and rounded. The nostril between three shields and head covered with small keeled scales, among which an enlarged supra ocular is sometimes present. They move about mainly side winding: a method at which they are considerably proficient and alarmingly quick. It feeds on rodents, lizards, frogs and a variety of arthropods, such as scorpions, centipedes and large insects. The population in India is ovoviviparous. In northern India, mating takes place in the winter with live young being born from April through August.
5. Himalayan Pit Viper
Scientific name: Gloydius himalayanus
It is a venomous pit viper species found along the southern slopes of the Himalayans in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Medium sized snake with distinct elongated head covered with large symmetrical scales; a distinct pit between eye and nostril. A median series of dark brown blotches, alternating with lateral row of spots. A broad dark bend from eye to the angle of mouth. This snake frequents rocky wooded hill sides, where it lives in caverns and crevices among rocks, hibernates in winter from October to April. Basks in bright sunny winter days, habitually sluggish. Feeds mainly on skinks and other mountain lizards.
6. Bamboo Pit Viper
Scientific name: Trimersurus gramineus
All
vipers give birth to live young which hatch from the eggs inside the mother’s
uterus. They can be distinguished from all other groups of snakes by the
presence of the loreal pit. It is a heat sensitive pit enabling the snake to
locate and capture its pray. This beautiful but poisonous snake has a glossy
green back and yellowish white bottom. It is usually sluggish during the day but
when provoked it anchors itself firmly by its prehensile tail with an open
mouth. It prefers hilly forest and bamboo forests.
7. Common Krait
Scientific name: Bungarus caeruleus
Found almost all over India, they are nocturnal in habit. Commonly found in northeast India, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh up to an elevation of 1500meters. It is easily identified by its triangular body cross section and the marked vertebral ridge consisting of enlarged hexagonal vertebral shields along the middle of the dorsal side. The head is not distinct from neck. The eye is black. It has arrow head like yellow markings on its black head and has yellow lips, lore, chin and throat.
8. Banded Krait
Scientific name: Bungarus fasciatus
They are medium to large sized snake with prominent yellow and black bands on the body. The banded krait has been recorded to grow up to a length of 2 meters in Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Assam and Madhya Pradesh. Sometimes there is a black spot on the head. It feeds on other snakes.
9. Slender Coral Snake
Scientific name: Calliophis melanurus
A small slender snake found in most parts of the country except parts of central and north east India, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh up to an elevation of 1500 meters. A small and slender snake that has a uniform pale brown body coloration. This snake can be identified by its non evident neck, blunt snout, widely spaced nostrils which nearly are as wide apart as the eyes and smell supra-ocular compared to the frontal. Its head is mottled and dotted with black from which its specie name has been derived. The tip of its tail may also have a similar coloration and it could serve to act as a decoy. Some specimens have a brown coloration. Little is known about its behaviour. It appears to be inactive and sluggish by day.
10. Hook-nosed Sea snake OR Beaked sea snake
Scientific name: Enhydrina schistosa
This
is medium sized snake having a flattened body and tail. Found along the coast
and coastal islands. They are seasonally found in deep sea though they prefer
coastal areas. These snakes are generally found in the coast and the coastal
island of India. They are amongst the most common of the 20 kinds of sea snakes
found in that region. They are active both during the day and the night. They are
able to dive 100 meters and stay under water for a maximum of five hours before
resurfacing. Sea snakes are equipped with glands to eliminate excess salt. They
are venomous but not aggressive and are thus handled by the fishermen without
fear, though they are thrown back into the sea upon sight. The venom of this
snake is rated four to eight times as toxic as cobra venom. About 1.5
milligrams of its venom is estimated to be lethal. The principal food is fish.
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