Introduction
Nothing frightens
people in
This booklet has
been written with the specific intention of curing the reader of his or her
hostility towards snakes. If you read it carefully, you should no longer fear
snakes and may even begin to love them. People who overcome their fears through
knowledge are no longer anxious with the presence of snakes. On the contrary,
they turn into their protectors.
Snakes have
occupied almost every niche in the earth’s ecosystem. There are snakes that live
on trees (arboreal snakes), there are snakes that have made the ocean their home
(sea snakes), there are snakes that live in fresh water (water snakes), there
are snakes that live under ground (fossorial snakes:
these depend on homes made by other creatures. Very often, a snake will enter a
rat’s burrow, eat up the inhabitants and make the burrow its home). Then,
finally, there are snakes that occupy the ground (terrestrial snakes). So, as we
can see, there snakes have specialized to take advantage of every available
earthly habitat.
All snakes are
predators and since they have such a wide range of habitats and vary in size
from a few inches to around 25‑30 feet, they also prey upon a wide variety of
creatures ranging from insects, lizards, birds, fish, frogs and rodents to even
pigs and deer. As predators, snakes play a vital role in controlling the
population of these animals -- especially rodents, frogs and insects -- since a
majority of the snakes feed on them.
In turn, many
creatures also prey upon snakes: birds of prey, the mongoose, civet cats,
peacocks etc regularly feed on snakes. In fact, rats and larger frogs and birds
like the crow and mynah will not pass up an opportunity to eat a baby snake. So
apparently the population of snakes in nature is kept in check by these animals
and thus, a balance between the various populations is achieved and
maintained.
When human beings
enter this scenario, everything changes. Human beings not only alter and destroy
the habitat of snakes and other creatures, as far as snakes are concerned they
will not hesitate to kill them simply because they fear them. Although most
snakes found in
On the one hand,
snakes are being killed relentlessly by human beings and on the other, their
main source of food, that is, rodents (rats and mice) continue to benefit from
the farming activities of "humans", increasing their populations to alarming
proportions. Rodents consume about 25% of the total food grain produced every
year in
We can
conclusively say that snakes play a vital role in maintaining ecological
balance. In fact, the snake still remains the best method of biological rodent
control.
Perhaps one of
the reasons why the snake family is always regarded with a sense of fear is that
very little effort has been made to understand them. While such a reaction is
understandable because of the very appearance of the snake itself, accurate
information will go a long way to remove superstitions and unfounded fears about
these creatures. Once people are aware and sensitized to snakes, they will find
co‑existence with them much easier and safer.
When dealing with
snakes, the most important general principle to keep in mind is that most snakes
are truly harmless and want best to be left alone. On their part, snakes will
generally try to keep out of man's way unless they come into sudden, unexpected
and unwanted contact or confrontation, when they will usually react. Most snakes
are not only harmless, they are positively beneficial
to humans.
Myths about
snakes
Snakes probably
have the largest number of myths attached to them and are generally ill treated
because of them. On the occasion of Naga Panchami in
Snakes hunt human
beings: False. Snakes never hunt humans. They
usually hunt small rodents, birds, etc. Given even the slightest warning, a
snake will run away from humans. They only attack in self-defence, when surprised or cornered.
Most snakes are
harmful: False. Most
snakes are harmless.
Snakes feel slimy: False. A snake is cool and dry to
the touch.
Snakes can
hypnotize people and animals: False. The myth
probably rose because of the way snakes stare without moving, and because many
animals freeze when a snake stares at them.
Snakes are
aggressive and strike whenever possible: False. Most
snakes are cowards that prefer to swish away and avoid a
fight.
Snakes are
revengeful creatures and seek out the person who has injured it or his
family: False. All
snakes are afraid of human beings and will keep away from people as far as
possible. Moreover, snakes have a very tiny brain and cannot remember such
incidents so as to be able to take revenge days or months later.
Some snakes have
two heads. False. There is no such thing as a two headed snake. Snake
charmers encourage people to believe in this myth when they display the Sand Boa
snake which has a blunt tail which looks almost like its head.
Snakes cause
leprosy. False. This myth
has probably arisen because some snakes have mottled skin. However no snake
causes leprosy or any other illness in human beings. Snakes are clean
animals.
Cobras guard
jewels and treasures. False. Snakes have no use for precious stones and money nor
are they even attracted to them. This myth has probably arisen as a consequence
of movies which create such fantasies, preying on peoples fears.
Cobras have a
diamond in their head. False. This is logically, simply impossible. No snakes have any jewels embedded in
their bodies. Neither do they have any supernatural powers which enable them to
create precious stones or any other objects.
Life
cycle
Snakes were the
first of the vertebrates that could complete their life cycle outside water.
This is because reptile eggs are provided with amnion and allantois both of which perform the necessary functions of
respiration, excretion, etc., and keep the embryo from
drying.
All snakes are
oviparous i.e. they propagate through eggs. However, some snakes are ovo-viviparous. In such cases, the eggs hatch within the
body of the mother and the young are born live, eg. vine snakes, vipers, etc.
Snakes lay
clutches of eggs, usually breeding once a year. They hide the eggs so well that
one rarely comes across them. Unlike bird eggs, snake eggs hatch at a normal
temperature of about 31-33*C. The mother may remain to guard the eggs in some
cases and may even go to the extent of building a nest (as in the case of the
King Cobra), but she plays no real role in incubating them. The only exception are some pythons which coil around their eggs and
by shivering or twitching their bodies, manage to raise the temperature of the
eggs.
Once, when I was
called to catch a water snake (a checkered keel back) in a well, I found she had
laid eggs on the lowermost inner step of the well. Two or three of the eggs were
already submerged but the rest were still dry. I didn’t think they would hatch,
but I kept them any way in a glass tank at home. The main thing is to keep them
from drying by sprinkling some water on them from time to time. Two months
later, out of 13 eggs, 11 hatched. The young were 7-8 inches long. I released
them in my compound after a few days.
The newly born
normally do not eat till they complete their first moult which is usually a week after they are born. The next
moult may take a few more days and the time between
each moult continues to increase as the snake grows,
finally stabilizing at about 6-7 times a year in big snakes. Snakes grow in size
till they die but attain sexual maturity at half their full size. Mating in cold
countries may occur in spring and young are born/hatch in summer. But in
tropical countries like ours the time may vary. One interesting fact is that
female snakes possess the ability to store sperm, so they can lay fertile eggs
for a second breeding season without meeting a male.
Normally a snake
can live in the wilderness up to 30 to 35 years whereas in captivity
it
survives up to only 20 to
25 years.
Kinds of
Snakes:
In
There is no
specific external difference between poisonous and non-poisonous snakes. Before
you ever attempt to go close to a snake you must try and identify it from a safe
distance. Study good photographs of these snakes and visit a snake park, if
possible. Once the image of these snakes is fixed in your head, identification
is not at all that difficult.
We now provide
some notes on poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, for easier
identification:
Venomous/Poisonous
Snakes
The Indian
(Spectacled) Cobra ‑ Naja naja naja
Distinctive
Features: Medium‑sized to large; smooth, shiny scales; wide head and neck; wide
black band on underside of neck; distinctive hood marking on top of
neck.
Description: The
‘spectacled’ cobra is a smooth‑scaled snake with black eyes, wide neck and head
and medium body. Colouring varies from black or dark brown to yellowish white.
The underside is usually white or yellowish with a wide dark neckband. The body
is generally covered with a speckled white or yellow pattern, sometimes forming
ragged bands. The famous hood marking of the classic design shows a connected
pair of rings. Occasionally, it may not even resemble spectacles, or the design
may be altogether absent. The cobras of
Cobras are often
confused with Indian rat snakes which have a much thinner neck and head, and
become three metres long (a metre more than even the biggest Indian cobras).
Distribution:
Throughout
The Indian (Monocellate) Cobra ‑ Naja naja kaouthia
Distinctive
Features: Medium‑sized; smooth, shiny scales; wide head and neck; distinctive
hood marking different from that of the spectacled cobra.
Description: The
skin of the monocellate cobra is shinier, the hood
rounder and smaller and the head smaller than that of the ‘spectacled’ cobra.
The skin colour varies widely, from yellowish to greenish brown to black, with
ragged bands. There is a conspicuous white monocle on the hood. The underside is
yellowish white. Monocellate cobras superficially
resemble ‘spectacled’ cobras, but there are many small
differences.
Distribution.‑
Monocellate cobras are a sub‑species most commonly
found in
The Common
Krait ‑ Bungarus caeruleus
Distinctive
Features: Medium‑sized; smooth, glossy scales; head slightly wider than neck:
jet‑black, usually with distinct white cross lines.
Description:
Common kraits are smooth, glossy bluish‑black snakes with the rounded head
slightly distinct from the neck. The body colour varies from a dark steely
blue‑black in a specimen, which has freshly shed its skin, to a pale faded
bluish grey in one just about to moult. There are
normally about 40 thin white cross bands across the body. The young, and some
adults of the species, may have white spots along the first third of the
backbone in place of the cross lines. These variations as well as uniform black
variants appear in certain geographic races. The underside is white. Common
kraits are often confused with wolf snakes (Lycodon sp.), which are much smaller,
with flat, somewhat pointed heads. The common krait is the best known of the six
krait species found in
Distribution.‑
Most of India including the Andaman and
The Banded
Krait ‑ Bungarus fasciatus
Distinctive
Features: Medium‑sized to large; smooth, shiny scales: wide bright yellow and
black bands on back.
Description: The
banded krait is a large, conspicuous yellow and black banded snake with a
prominent backbone, blunt tail and rounded head slightly distinct from the body.
The bands are faded on the underside. This is one of the most
cool headed snakes and will almost never bite even under maximum
provocation.
Distribution:
The Russell's
Viper ‑ Vipera russellii
Distinctive
Features: Medium‑sized to large; strongly keeled scales; distinctive bright
chain pattern; large triangular head.
Description:
Russell's Vipers are heavy, rough‑scaled snakes with vertical eye pupils and
generally a very bright pattern. The body colour is usually brown or yellowish
and the pattern is composed of dark, round spots edged with white and black. The
underside is white in the western, partly speckled in the south eastern and
heavily speckled in the north eastern race. Colour variation is common, and the
best recognition characters are the short, fat body, the triangular‑shaped head
and very regular chain like pattern. Russell's vipers resemble the fat, harmless
common sand boas, which however have shorter, and blunter tails and irregular
body patterns. The bright symmetrical spots on the Russell's viper's back make
it easy to recognise. Russell's Vipers are one of the
big four dangerous snakes of
Distribution:
Hills and plains throughout
The Saw‑Scaled
Viper ‑ Echis carinatus
Distinctive
Features: Small; strongly keeled scales; head wider than neck; dull colour;
cross mark on top of head is distinctive.
Description: A
rough‑scaled snake with large eyes, wider head than neck and stocky body. The
scales are heavily keeled. The body is brown, grayish or sandy with a darker
zigzag pattern on the back and a distinct cross or lance mark on the head. The
underside is white with brown speckles. The tail is short and stubby. Saw‑scaled
vipers are the smallest of the Big Four venomous snakes and are less of a threat
in south
Distribution.‑
Throughout India, mostly on the plains. In
Other
Venomous/Poisonous Snakes
The King
Cobra ‑ Ophiophagus hannah
Distinctive
Features: Large; smooth, shiny scales; distinct light cross bands mainly on the
fore body, large head scales edges with black.
Description: The
large head of the giant king cobra is little wider than the neck. The head
scales are edged with black and the overall colour varies from yellowish to deep
olive‑green but the tail is often jet‑black. The underside is a lighter shade of
the body colour. The yellow bands on the snake's back are more obvious in the
light coloured specimens from Orissa and Uttar Pradesh. King cobras are the
largest venomous snakes in the world. The king cobra female makes a nest of dry
leaves, branches, small stones etc, in rain forests before laying eggs. No
antivenom is available for this snake in
Distribution:
Rare in
The Slender Coral
Snake ‑ Callophis melanurus
Distinctive
Features: Small, slender; smooth, shiny scales, blunt, black head, tail black,
scarlet and blue.
Description.‑ The
slender coral snake is light brown in colour and fairly speckled. The head and
neck are black with two conspicuous yellow spots on the top of the head. There
is a ragged black ring at the tail‑base and at the tail up. The underside is
uniform pinkish‑red (coral), bright scarlet at vent, and the underside of the
tail is bluish. The head is blunt and has the same width as the neck; the scales
are smooth and slightly glossy. Slender coral snakes are one of the 5 Indian
coral snakes. The other 4 are hill forest species of the
Distribution:
Reported from most parts of
The Bamboo Pit
Viper - Trimeresurus gramineus
A medium sized
snake, grass green on top and yellowish below. Has a prominent triangular head.
The bamboo viper is always found on trees. It is hardly ever found in the
ground. So if you come across any bamboo pit vipers, provide it with perches,
because you won't find it on the ground. It will be comfortable if it has some
branches/twigs to live on. This is a poisonous snake but normally not lethal
enough to kill a human being.
There are many
species of sea snakes found on the Indian coastal belt. All of them are
poisonous but bites from them are very rare. Fishermen handle them with their
bare hands. These snakes give birth to live young in water. They are totally
helpless on land. If you see a sea snake stranded on the sand, pick it up with a
long stick and put it back in the sea.
The Common Blind
Snake ‑ Ramphotyplops bramina
Description:
12‑17 cm length, smallest snake in the country; looks like an earthworm,
brownish black/reddish black in colour, rounded head and tail. Eyes are tiny,
almost invisible to human eye. These snakes are very small and should never be
held in one’s hand because the body temperature of a human being can kill
it.
Distribution:
Found underground and in anthills, wooden logs and decayed leaves in
jungles.
yellow spots, neck and
tail have yellowish and saffron coloured stripes on either side. Narrow pointed
head, short tail.
Distribution:
Found underground, but appears in the open during rainy
season.
Pythons:
Pythons are
non‑venomous snakes. However, they can deliver a very painful bite if
unnecessarily provoked. A python strangulates its prey and therefore it has to
be handled carefully. It has very powerful muscles.
Whenever you are handling such a reptile, especially when it is very large, it
is advisable to have additional hands.
The Indian
Python ‑ Python molurus
Description:
Huge, pale brown in colour, body has dark brown shiny spots all over, long flat
head which is distinct from the body, eyes oval and
smaller.
Distribution:
Deep jungles and rocky areas, near water.
The Reticulated
Python ‑ Python reticulatus
Description: The
longest snake in the world, reticulations on the body (like giraffe) in yellow,
brown and black colours, brown head has a black stripe which runs from the tip
of the head to the neck.
Distribution:
Nicobar islands mainly.
The Sand
Boa ‑ Eryx conicus
Description: 60
cm, fat body, short in length, blunt tail with bristles. Oval head and neck is
the same size as the rest of the body. Whitish yellow/dark yellow scales with
pattern of cream coloured spots.
Distribution:
Arid regions, lives in burrows or crevices.
The Earth
Boa ‑ Eryx johnil
Description: 90
cm, dark brown/cream colour cylindrical body with tapering head. Tail and head
are identical with small eyes. A very coolheaded snake which
almost never bites, ideal for beginners to handle.
Distribution:
Found in black soil, also found in the open during
monsoons.
The Common Kukri
Snake ‑ Oligodon arnensis
Description:
30‑40 cm, short flat head, has an inverted V mark on it. Cylindrical body is
yellowish green with a row of brown spots. Teeth are curved like a kukri (weapon
common in
Distribution:
Terrestrial snake, lives in crevices in brick
walls.
The Wolf
Snake ‑ Lycodon aulicus
Description:
40‑50 cm, dark brown body with white bands. Pattern similar to the krait but the
bands on the wolf snake are darker towards the head and lighter towards the
tail.
Distribution:
Black coloured with yellow bands.
The Rat
Snake - Ptyas mucosus
Description: Head
rather elongate, eyes large with vertical black lines
on the face. Neck constricted, head smaller compared to body. Tapering towards both ends. Dark brownish
or yellowish in colour. A very dark greenish brown colour is sometimes
seen. Found throughout the Indian sub-continent. Can swim, and can climb trees.
Normally tries to escape when sighted. Eats almost anything
such as frogs, toads, birds, skinks, bats and other
snakes.
The rat snake is
non‑venomous. However people routinely kill it because they mistake it for a
cobra, as it has a similar skin pattern. There is mass pelting and destruction
of these snakes. In fact this snake is ecologically important because it eats a
lot of rats. It keeps the rodent population in control and indiscriminate
killing of these snakes will lead to increase in rodent population. When you
examine them closely for a week, you will be able to distinguish them from
cobras.
The Flying
Snake - Chrysopelea ornata
The snake is
called a flying snake because it glides. It does not actually fly. With the help
of its ribs it can contract into a particular shape. It can make its body
concave so there is a kind of a negative pressure and a vacuum is created and it can
glide upto a distance of 200 metres. It is poisonous.
The Bronze Back
Tree Snake - dendrelaphis tristis
Description: a
thin long snake with an elongate head, large lustrous eyes with a golden iris.
Bronze brown on the dorsal surface. A yellowish stripe
on the dorsal surface from the neck to vent is seen.
Habits: Bronze
backs are found almost entirely on trees and on roof tops sometimes. They rarely
come to the ground. They are highly active snakes and can climb trees very
easily.
The Checkered
Keel Back Water Snake - Xenochrophis piscator
Description:
Quite a robust snake with an oval head. Eyes tilted upwards, colouration is variable, but normally yellowish or olivaceous with distinct spots or checks all over the body.
Spots may be reddish in colour sometimes.
Habits: This is
the commonest fresh water snake and is the most aggressive Indian snake. It
erects and
The Trinket
Snake - Elaphe helena
Description: A
beautiful coloured snake usually brownish or yellowish. Ornamented with crossbars on the anterior part of the body.
Longish and moderately thin. Usually
not aggressive.
The Common Green
Whip Snake - Ahaetulla nasutus
Description: A
very long and extremely thin snake. Bright green in colour
with a pointed snout and horizontal pupils. Tail very
long. Usually found on trees and can move very easily on thin twigs and
leaves. When first caught, it may display aggression by opening its mouth wide.
Usually eats small mammals, birds, lizards, etc.
Snakebites
The principal
problem people fear about snakes is a snake bite. Snake bites usually occur in
rural areas. People working in the fields or traveling through forests or desert
areas get bitten by snakes. According to the general rule, poisonous snakes
leave two big fang marks and non-poisonous ones leave many uniform teeth marks.
However, in most cases, it is difficult to identify the bite as poisonous or
non-poisonous because the bite mark in most cases is a small abrasion. Baby
snakes are as venomous as their parents, even when the snake is just newly born.
In most snake
bite cases, the snake does not get a chance to chew for long, which would give
it more time to inject a lethal dose. Another fact is that venomous snakes don't
always inject venom in their bites. Most snake bites are dry bites (the snake
does not inject poison).
Technically,
snake venom doesn't come from their mouths. It is produced in glands located in
the back of the snake's eyes. Poison is injected from the venom sacs through
grooved or hollow fangs. Depending on the species, the fangs are either long or
short. Pit vipers have long hollow fangs. These fangs are folded against the
roof of the mouth and extend when the snake strikes. This allows them to strike
quickly and withdraw. Cobras, coral snakes, kraits, mambas and sea snakes have
short, grooved fangs. These snakes are less effective in their attempts to bite,
since they must chew after striking to inject enough venom to be
effective.
However, all
snakes may carry tetanus (lockjaw), so anyone bitten by a snake, whether
poisonous or non‑poisonous, should immediately seek medical attention.
The general rule
is: TREAT ALL SNAKEBITES AS POTENTIALLY POISONOUS.
Identification
The
identification of poisonous snakes is very important since medical treatment
will be different for each type of venom.
Snake venoms are
basically of two types: haemotoxic, which affects the
blood, and neurotoxic, which affects the nervous
system.
Cobra venom, for
example, is basically neurotoxic. The venom prevents
the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles. Thus the general symptom is
paralysis. There is little local pain at the site of the bite. The paralysis is
followed by drowsiness. The person experiences a choking sensation and
suffocation. He loses power in the legs and paralysis of the lips, tongue, etc.
sets in thereafter. The patient is soon unable to hold saliva in the mouth and
is unable to swallow. The eye lids begin to droop. Salivation increases and the
person begins to drop saliva out of the mouth. The
venom then paralyses the respiratory centre and kills the
person.
Krait venom is
also neurotoxic. The symptoms are similar to cobra
bites, but usually no local symptoms are observed. Sometimes severe abnormal
pain occurs. Krait venom is many times more toxic than cobra
venom.
Viper venom is
mainly haemotoxic. The bitten area experiences severe
pain and swelling. The venom prevents clotting and destroys blood cells and
capillaries. Consequently the victim starts bleeding from gums, nose, rectum,
vagina, ears and other orifices of the body. There is also vomiting induced. The
person finally dies due to loss of blood and haemorrhage. Viper venoms are knows to affect the person
even after 12-13 days. Therefore the victim must be hospitalized for a few days
till the effects have worn off.
First
aid
First reassure
the patient that he is not going to die and you are there to help him. Take the
casualty to the medical treatment facility as soon as possible with minimum
movement. If bitten on an extremity, do not elevate the limb and keep it level
with the body. Make the position comfortable.
If the bite is on
an arm or leg, place a constricting band or narrow gauze bandage, one or two
finger breadths above and below the bite. If only one constricting band is
available, place the band on extremity between the bite side and casualty's
heart. If the bite is on the hand or foot, place a single band above the wrist
or ankle. The band should be tight enough to stop the flow of blood near the
skin, but not tight enough to interfere with circulation.
Do not attempt to
cut open the bite. Do not suck out the venom: if the venom should seep through
any damaged or lacerated tissues in your mouth, you could immediately lose
consciousness or even die. A suction device may be placed over the bite to help
draw venom out of the wound without making any other cuts. Suction instruments
are included in commercial snakebite kits.
Caution ‑ When a splint
is used to immobilize the arm or leg, take extreme care to ensure the splinting
is done properly and does not stop the circulation. Watch it closely and adjust
it if any changes in swelling occur. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap
(preferably soaps used to wash clothes) and water. Do not use ointments of any
kind.
Never give food,
alcohol, stimulants (coffee or tea), drugs or tobacco to the affected person.
Remove rings, watches or other jewellery from the
affected limb.
Antidotes
available and how to use them
Antivenom
Antivenoms are basically
antibodies used to destroy or neutralize the effect of snake venom. The
antivenom is created by injecting tiny doses of raw snake venom into horses and
gradually increasing the dose till the horse builds up immunity and produces
antibodies. The blood of the horse is then taken, the serum separated and the
antibodies in the serum used for producing antivenom. (Recent research has shown
that the same antivenom can be made out of the yolk of eggs. After this is
proven and stabilized, horses will no longer be needed to producing snake
antivenom.)
Antivenom
produced now is actually poly antivenom, since it is effective against bites of
all the four poisonous snakes of
It must be said
that anti‑venoms are very specific and should not be experimented with.
Anti‑venoms often produce strange reactions among certain people who cannot
tolerate their presence in their bodies. There are cases when people have died
due to the anti‑venom itself rather than from the poison.
Some people are
allergic to horse serum and thus need to take anti allergy drugs before taking
the antivenom. Also one may need in individual cases artificial respiration,
blood, etc. thus it is best if antivenom is administered in a hospital.
Antivenom is given through drip and the blood is then tested for clotting
factors and other toxins at regular intervals till the effect of the venom is
totally neutralized. In an emergency, however, antivenom may be injected
directly.
Preventing Snake
Bites
Except for a few
species, snakes tend to be shy or passive. Unless they are injured, trapped or
disturbed, snakes usually avoid contact with humans. Most people are bitten in
their attempts to tease a snake or when trying to kill or frighten it.
Most snakes are
active during the period from twilight to daylight. Avoid walking as much as
possible during this time. Look around carefully before sitting down,
particularly if in deep grass among rocks. Wear thick‑soled leather boots that
cannot be penetrated by the snake’s teeth. Attempt to camp on clean; level
ground. Avoid camping near piles of brush, rocks, or other debris. Sleep on
camping cots or anything that will keep off the ground. Avoid sleeping on the
ground, if possible. Check the other side of a large rock before stepping over
it. When looking under any rock, pull it toward you as you turn it over so that
it will shield you in case a snake is beneath it.
Try to walk only
in open areas. Avoid walking close to rock walls or similar areas where snakes
may be hiding. Hike with another person for company. Avoid hiking alone in a
snake‑infested area. If bitten, it is important to have at least one companion
to perform lifesaving first aid measures and to kill the snake for easy
identification, unless you are sure of the species. Providing the snake to
medical personnel will facilitate both identification and treatment. If a snake
is killed, handle it with a long tool or stick as snakes can inflict fatal bites
by reflex action even after death.
Where you will
most probably find snakes
Snakes are
usually found in very specific kinds of places. They are, for example, usually
concerned about finding a shady place in summer with fresh water and a dry warm
place to hibernate in winters. In fact, people can be educated about this so
that snakes are not unnecessarily disturbed and people can avoid getting
bitten.
Snakes like
hiding underneath stones and boulders in forests and on the road. So educate
people about not lifting stones or boulders, because that is a favoured hiding place for snakes. Be careful when you are
shifting any stone which has been lying in the same place for sometime. Also
make sure that there is no snake around. Be observant.
Thorny bushes and
tall grasses are the natural habitat of snakes. So if you are removing some
thorny plants from your garden or from an area, you might encounter a Russell's
Viper.
The most common
places where you are likely to find snakes are piles of rubble and building
material, trash cans, waste water outlets, bath rooms, behind washing machines,
under the gas cylinders, store rooms, verandas, climbing water pipes, backyards
or gardens/lawns, around garden plant pots, bonnets of discarded vehicles,
etc.
Cracks or holes
in the walls are also very good hiding places for snakes. So make sure that your
building compound or the wall of your house does not have any cracks or any
holes. You can use water to flood snakes out of wall cracks. Scrap materials or
junk are also good hiding places for snakes. Make sure there is no garbage or
waste lying around your house. Again most snakes are ground dwellers. So if you
step on a snake accidentally it might bite you on the legs. Proper boots while
going into the forest or jungle will help you avoid getting bitten by
snakes.
If it is dark
always use a torch or lamps because you may not be able to see the snake in the
dark and might put your foot on it.
Snakes are
naturally attracted to sources of food. So if there is any large presence of
livestock such as birds, poultry or pigeons being kept either as pets or for
commercial purposes, snakes might be attracted. These animals should always be
kept at a height so that the snakes cannot see them or enter their
cages.
The favourite
food of rat snakes is rats (naturally). So if there is a large rodent population
or if you have large rat holes, you are bound to have a rat snake there.
Therefore, try and control the population of rats in your area.
Cut any creepers
or any plants bending towards or touching any window or roof. This is a very
easy way for snakes to get in.
Also, the smaller
snakes eat the house lizards called geckos. If you are living in a house with a
garden, because a garden attracts insects, insects attract reptiles. So make
sure that there are few lizards in your house. If you can control the rat and
lizard population, you will not come in contact with
snakes.
It should be
remembered that the eyesight of snakes is very poor. They feel vibrations with
the help of their lower jaw. So whenever you are walking in the jungle or
forest, if you stamp your feet and walk, you are sending vibrations. The snake
knows something is coming and will avoid your path.
During the
monsoon season various snakes can be seen moving around in cities or rural
areas. They come out for mating and to access food such as rats, frogs, eggs of
birds and their young ones because the populations of these flourish during this
period.
How to deal with
a snake in your house
Snakes rarely
enter houses. They cannot move on smooth surfaces and therefore the only reason
you sometimes find them in your house is because they have fallen from the roof
by accident or they have tried to follow a rat into your house. No snake will ever enter your house with the
intention of harming you.
There are two
things you can do if you find a snake in the house. One is to call a snake
rescue club for help. In this case, if you are brave enough, simply throw a
blanket over the snake, or, if the snake is behind some object, leave it there
and keep someone to watch over it, till you get help.
If help is not
available, you have to deal with the snake yourself. Using a long stick try and
pick up the snake from under mid body and then drop it in a large bag or put it
out in the compound from where it has come. Snakes do not jump, therefore if you
have a stick longer than 1 ½ mt. you have no chance of
being bitten. If the snake keeps slipping off the stick then gently and slowly
guide the snake to the door with the stick. Once the snake is out on the ground
it will move away fast and not come back to bother you
again.
Catching and
Handling Snakes
Catching snakes
is a very risky operation and should be carried out with great care and caution.
Snake catching should be learnt under the guidance of an expert, because even
non-poisonous snakes can inflict painful bites.
The basic rule in
snake catching is to avoid touching the snake as far as possible. No unnecessary
acts of bravery should be performed. Good protective clothing is a must. Big
boots, tough jeans, and a jacket and gloves will reduce the risk of getting
bitten to a great extent.
A fairly safe way
to catch snakes is to make a butterfly net kind of tool. One square metre of
strong cotton cloth may be attached to a gutless
The snake, on
seeing a dark place, will slide into it. Snakes associate any burrow, cave, hole
or opening as a place of refuge or safety. This makes the snake glide into the
cloth bag. Once inside, you may tie the neck of the bag. The cloth should be
fairly thick as a snake could bite through it.
In case the snake
avoids the bag, try placing it again in its path. Sooner or later the snake will
go inside. This method is safe because the snake does not associate the bag with
any danger and hence makes no attempts to strike back or
flee.
A very good
instrument which is often used for snake catching in
To transport the
snake after you have caught it, carry a canvas bag with a zip. A string can be
tied to the zip, so that you can zip the bag, holding your hand far away from
the mouth of the bag. Remember, the bigger the bag, the easier it is to get the
snake into it.
Snakes are likely
to be found behind some object rather than in the open. So don’t make any
attempt to disturb it if it is not moving. If you move slow enough, the snake is unlikely to make any sudden moves
or try to escape. Gently lift it with the U shaped end of the stick and drop it
inside the bag. Sometimes the snake may keep moving and avoid the bag. In this
case, it may be necessary to gently pin its head down with the forked end of the
stick. After doing so, grab it firmly but gently behind the head bones and then
put it into the bag. It is important never to let the snake coil around any part
of your body. By doing do the snake will force you to loosen your grip and then
bite you.
Never handle a
venomous snake if you are far away from a hospital.
Once a snake is
identified as venomous, it may be a good thing to place the cloth bag within
another bag so that there is no chance of its escape or it attacking you. Never
try to touch the snake at any point of time. Such antics may prove costly and
yield nothing. Do not put the snake in a polythene or plastic bag as it would be
unable to
Some points to be
remembered while handling each of the four different venomous
snakes:
Rescue
Snake rescues are
of two kinds. In the first kind, one rescues a perfectly normal snake from a
house or compound that it has entered (in search of rats, mice, toads, frogs or
lizards) and which has been sighted and cornered by the inhabitants or a snake
which has fallen into a well or tank and cannot get out.
The second is
rescuing a captive snake from a snake charmer.
Mostly when you
are rescuing snakes from people's homes, respond immediately lest they cause any
damage to the snake.
After the rescue,
the snake has to be transported to a snake shelter, avoiding unnecessary jerks
or movement and not exposed to sunlight. Though I use a canvas bag, you can also
use mud pots which are available in every village environment. The pot is an
excellent device. It is invariably cool to the touch. It is also dark, after one
has closed the neck with a tough piece of cloth and tied it down around the
neck. Pots can also be kept extra
cool with water sprays. The pot or bag is after all only an isolation chamber
and not the place where the snake will be kept permanently. Once you put the
snake inside you can observe it. Checking for injuries immediately is not
advisable. In any case, do not actually grab a snake unless absolutely
necessary. A dark retreat is what the snake wants. If there is any health
problem or if the snake is badly injured or it has bruises on it, it can be
treated but it should be less frequently handled.
Your foremost
action should be to give fresh, cool water to the snake. Provide a dust or sand
bath mixed with turmeric powder to rid the snake of any infection or blood
sucking parasites, such as ticks. If you
Observe and give
food because you don't know whether the snake is fed or not. Most reptiles do
not eat everyday. They eat once in four days or once in 7 days depending on the
species. Larger pythons, depending on if they have had a large meal, may not eat
for 15 days. So not having known whether the animal is fed or not, offer it
food. If it eats the food it is in good health. If it doesn't, then presume that
it has already had its food or is ill. Give dead white mice. Once it is fed, you can shift it to
another cage. Or a pit can be prepared for the time being in a shady place till
you release the snake into its habitat.
Looking after
snakes is a very specialized job and is not recommended. It would be better if
NGOs made efforts to teach snake charmers to be educators rather than enemies of
snakes.
Handling snakes
in captivity
To handle a snake
is to begin touching it while it is inside its cage so that it becomes
accustomed to human touch. If the animal attempts to bite, the use of a leather
gardening glove is recommended. If the snake musks,
the use of latex gloves used for washing dishes will keep the smell off your
hands.
Once you have the
snake in hand, utilize minimal restriction rather that firm restraint,
essentially guiding the snake as it moves through your hands. Restraint will be
interpreted by a snake as a definite threat and this will frequently result in a
quick turnaround and biting. Handle small non-venomous snakes by grasping them
firmly but gently behind the head -- near the angle of the jaws -- and then
supporting the body with your other hand.
Larger snakes
require more support: 5‑6 people may be need to restrain a moderate‑size snake
for a physical examination or an injection. As a general rule you should handle
no constricting snake of more than 8 feet in length without someone else in the
immediate vicinity. A thorough physical examination may require two people to
hold down such a snake while a third person examines the animal.
When
administering an injection be careful of sudden violent jerks by the snake
toward the needle. The expert can wrap his hands around the snake near the
injection point to prevent the sudden jerking movement. You should insert the
needle at an angle not perpendicular to the skin. If the needle is
perpendicular, a sudden motion might cause it to penetrate too deeply, causing
harm to the snake. Administer the injection in the front part of the snake or
the medication could go through its kidneys, damaging
them.
Examining a
snake
Observe the snake
from a distance. When examining it, observe its overall appearance, ease of
breathing and the luster of the skin. Is it moving about the cage, is it alert
and moving with good muscular and motor control? Is its tongue flicking? Examine
the cage for stools ‑ are they solid and normal in colour, or loose, watery and
foul smelling? Normal stools are dark (black or dark brown) with a white part.
The dark part is the faecal matter and the white part
is the uric acid. If the stool is watery, mucousy,
blood tinged, greenish or yellowish, it is a sign of a problem.
If the snake’s
body is flattened, it may be a sign of poor muscle tone and perhaps long term
anorexia. Check the nose area for abrasions and check the mouth. Hold the snake
behind its head with one hand (while supporting the body on a table or using
your arm to hold it against your body only if non venomous). With the other
hand, pull the skin underneath the lower jaw to open the mouth of the animal to
see if the mouth area is clean, uniformly coloured, and free of mucous. Look at
the eyes: are they bright, clear and moving alertly? The signs that a snake is
actually in the process of sleeping include constriction of its pupils, tucking
of its head into its coils, or burrowing in its substrate.
See if the tongue
is flicking, the snake breathing easily or are there respiratory 'wheezes', open
mouth breathing, puffing of the throat, blowing bubbles or a constant head
elevation? Examine the skin for any abnormalities or discolorations: are there
any ticks or mites, is the skin smooth and shiny, any abnormal lumps or bumps.
Check the cloacal area: is it clean with a pink
interior or is there dried blood or mucus present in this area? Make sure the
substrate material is clean and dry, the cage furniture is secure, and that the
water and water bowls are clean. Any shed skin should be removed along with any
fecal matter.
To open a snake's
mouth to give it some medicine you can follow these small tricks: you have got a
small snake, take a folded business card, or if it's a large snake, a folded
paper plate and put it in the snake's mouth. Paper products are good because
they are soft and can be easily disposed of afterward so they don't need to be
disinfected and the fold keeps the snake from getting paper cuts. A ballpoint
pen can be used to poke open the front of a snake's mouth. Once the snake opens
its mouth wide, put the pen in its mouth crosswise to keep it open. A rubber
spatula works. If you need to give your snake medication, you can pop it right
behind the spatula.
Always wash your
hands with bactericidal soap such as betadine scrub
after handling snakes. Immuno‑compromised people
should not handle reptiles of any kind.
Snake
Diseases
One of the most
serious threats to captive snakes are from pathogens,
that is, infections and diseases introduced by other wild animals and snakes. It
is important to keep newly captured snakes in quarantine as they often carry
infections and diseases that affect other snakes. The faeces of these snakes must be analyzed to determine their
health and body condition.
Some common snake
diseases a snake-keeper must be aware of are the following:
a)
Bacterial
infections like pneumonia that can
cause respiratory infections in the snake. Wheezing is a symptom common in such
cases. Such snakes should be immediately quarantined least they pass on their
infection to others. This infection includes the presence of bubbly mucus in the
mouth, listlessness and decreased appetite. If left untreated the amount of
mucus increases and the snake keeps its mouth open and its head is partially
raised. Untreated respiratory disease leads to the death of the snake. Vets will
administer oxytetracyline, which is given orally at
the rate of 5O mg. per one kg. of snake's
weight.
b)
Pseudomonas: This bacterium is usually in small
numbers. It leads to a variety of diseases such as mouth rot (prevents the snake
from opening its mouth), ulceration, etc. Use cotton swabs soaked in a 3%
hydrogen peroxide solution. You can also use diluted Chlorhexidine (0.25-1%), povidine
iodine solution (1%), vinegar solution (0.5%). By gently holding the snake
behind the head, the swab can be pushed against the gums. Vets administer Betadine orally or its mouthwash solution is applied to the
affected area at least once a day to cure these problems. Atropine (to reduce
the thickness of the oral secretions) and vitamin C are also used.
c)
Cestodes (Tapeworms): Several effective treatments are available.
d)
Blisters on snakes are
tiny spots or nodules (these may be hard but are often pus filled) on its skin.
Immediately assess its enclosure. Excessively high humidity, damp and dirty
substrate, and soaking in an unclean water dish can cause this disease. Clean
and sterilize the cage, change the substrate, put in a smaller water bowl and
remove any plants. If the blister disease is minimal, the snake will probably
enter a 'rapid shed cycle' and rid itself of the problem within a shed or two.
If the disease is advanced with underlying tissue damage, it will be necessary
to rupture each blister and clean the area daily for 7‑14 days with dilute Betadine and hydrogen peroxide. Again the snake will enter a
rapid shed cycle and after two sheds its skin should appear
normal.
e)
Skin sloughing
(shedding): The complete
skin cover of the snake is shed in one single piece. This is not a complicated
process. Rather it is quite natural. Healthy snakes shed their skin in one
piece. Difficult shedding is caused by parasites, malnutrition, infection,
metabolic irregularities, tumors or poor environment. If a snake needs help
immediately, place it in a warm, wet pillowcase for 30 minutes to an hour. Tie
the top and do not place the pillowcase anywhere where water could overflow and
cover the bag or where the snake can fall or get stepped on. After some time,
remove the snake. Assist the snake in. shedding its old skin including the eye
shields or spectacles. Skin from the eye can be removed with forceps. You can
also use a small amount of mild washing detergent in the soaking process. A
dilute solution of one part hydrogen peroxide to 3/4 parts water also helps the
snakes to shed easily.
f)
Abscesses: Common cause of lumps/bumps is an
abscess ‑ a pocket of bacteria and dead cells. This is caused if the snake has
been badly housed causing malfunctioning of the immune system. You can treat
abscesses by slicing them open and flushing them with povidine iodine solution (Betadine). Reptile pus is usually solid so remove the pus
manually by applying pressure to the sides of the abscess and then scraping out
the inside of the abscess with a small spoon like instrument. One abscess found
is a warning for the presence of more lumps that you do not see. If you find a
parasite when you slice open a lump, wash your hands immediately and take the
snake to the vet.
g)
Ticks and
Mites: Ticks and mites
are found on the skin of the snake which sucks the blood of the snake causing
anemia and eventually death of the snake. The tick imbeds its mouth parts in the
skin between the scales. A pyrethrin spray is
effective. Simply spray a cotton swab, apply the medication to the tick, wait a
few minutes and remove the tick with tweezers. If the tick is imbedded near the
snake's head, pyrethrin is not recommended. In this
case, with a cotton swab apply a drop or two of rubbing alcohol or a small
amount of petroleum jelly directly on the tick. Wait for 5‑10 minutes and remove
the tick with the help of forceps and pluck out from the skin. Whenever pyrethrins are used, be sure to thoroughly rinse the snake
in lukewarm water after treatment is completed. You can also use Nilgiri Oil or Neem Oil to remove
these risks.
Mites are seen as
tiny, dark, bead like creatures crawling on the skin of the snake. Their
presence is indicated by tiny white spots on the skin. Pyrethirin spray is very effective in killing adult mites as
well as their eggs which are also laid on the snake's skin. Dampen the cloth
with the spray and wipe the snake with the cloth. Cover all the skin including
the top of the head and the chin and
throat area. The eyes must be avoided as pyrethrin can
damage the lens of the eye. Pots and box furniture can also be treated with
pyrethrin spray. Everything must be rinsed thoroughly
before being used again. Mites are mostly found in the soil, when you paste your
enclosure with soil. You must change the soil frequently within a short period
of time. It is very important to use the above media to kill the mites as they
actually kill the snake in a 3 or 4 days by sucking its blood. The scientific
name of the snake mite is Feuonises nitorsis.
The old treatment
for mites includes soaking the snake in soapy water and painting its head with
various oils such as olive oil but not petroleum based. Disinfect the cage
thoroughly with diluted sodium hypochlorite solution i.e. 1‑3 ounces of bleach
in quarter of water. The cracks and crevices in the box enclosure or pot should
be sealed or painted to get rid of the mites.
h)
Septicemia:
Septicemia can
result as a direct infection of the blood or after a localized infection
(infectious stomatitis) spreads hematogenously. Septic animals are gravely ill and require
hospitalisation and intensive therapy. Septic snakes
are lethargic and refuse to feed. They may exhibit reduced muscle tone or
contractions when handled during the examination. Maintain a warm environment
(85‑90 degree F).
i)
Ulcers: Ulcers often
occur in the mouths of snakes due to improper eating and sometimes if a snake
eats infected material. It is very difficult for the snake to swallow the food.
First thing, the snake will not eat anything and a white fluid comes out from
the mouth of the snake. It is a curable disease. The snake can be cured by
diluting hydrogen peroxide (H20) or hydrochloric acid or you can use coca cola
as it is acidic, it is a very safe process done by flushing it inside the
mouth.
Snake charmers
remove their fangs and stitch their mouths with cotton thread. Whenever you find
such snakes, you cannot rehabilitate them in the wild because they have lost
their power to kill and they won't be able to eat anything. What can you do then
is to remove the stitches and keep them under observation for a long time. In
some countries, the zoos have strict welfare laws about not feeding live animals
to any animals. Sometime snakes eat dead animals that cause such
infections.
j)
Constipation: Snakes can get constipated. Overfed or
underactive snakes are more prone to constipation.
Neither slightly cooler air nor slightly humid temperatures are accepted by the
snakes body system. Cooler air temperatures can cause a
snake to hug its heat source and the inactive snakes
cooks the stool in its colon for several days, drying it out and making it more
difficult to pass. Lower cage humidity increases the rate of evaporative water
loss even more. Therefore correct the environment, eliminate drying substrates
from the enclosure. Use a humidifier near the cage, if necessary. Increase your
snake's exercise by increasing the size of the enclosure, reduce the frequency
of feeding and feed small, digestible items. Place the snake in shallow warm
water for fifteen minutes everyday for 3‑4 days causing it to defecate. Skip
some feedings.
k)
Dehydration: Dehydration is
caused due to lack of drinking water and high temperature in the cage. Avoid
wooden boxes generally, drying substrates and excessive heat. House the snake in
smooth‑sided enclosures and provide water all the time. Give an electrolyte
solution such as dilute Pedialyte, mix it with equal
quantity of water to produce a half strength solution. Keep the snake warm but
keep in mind that increased temperature will increase the rate of
dehydration.
l)
Dermatitis (Skin
Lesions): Burns, bite wounds,
abrasions, retained skin from an attempted shed, skin tumors, parasites,
excessive moisture of the substrate or high humidity and filthy enclosures may
expose snakes to dermatitis by allowing the entry of bacteria. Dermatitis may be
caused by fungi, worms or viral. Fungal lesions and infections respond to
warmth, dryness and daily application of povidine
iodine such as Betadine or in combination of
antifungal ointments.
Place the snake
in a container placing paper towels soaked in dilute Betadine solution and leave it for 30‑60 minutes. Remove the
snake, rinse it off and then apply the antifungal ointment to its
lesions.
m) Diarrhoea: Diarrhoea is
the occurrence of loose, watery and foul smelling stools. Give Kaopectate dose of I ml/kg of body
weight of the snake.
.
Wounds and
injuries
Injuries are
caused by rough and careless handling during capture or through the continual
efforts of the snake to escape from poorly made enclosures. Treat these wounds
by dusting the exposed areas with a sulphanilamide
powder obtained from a vet, then put the snake in a smooth‑sided cage where it
cannot exacerbate the problem. Penicillin is a good drug to be administered as
treatment in these cases.
There may be
cases of prey attacks so offer only stunned or killed prey. If giving live prey
and it is not eaten in 10‑15 minutes remove it immediately and offer at a later
time. Most snakes are sight and olfactory feeders, loss of tongue may require
you to hand feed for life. Rodent bites heal slowly and lead to scar formation
and wound contraction at the skin edges ‑ skin sutures are removed or skin
grafting may also be needed. Bedding should be changed to paper towels; remove
branches and other rough surfaces.
Burns
For burns apply
Polysporin ointment, Silvadene cream one percent to the lesions everyday for a
few weeks to one month. You can allow the snake to soak in a povidine iodine solution for 30 minutes per day prior to
applying the ointment. Particulate bedding material should not be used because
it adheres to wet dressings and ointments ‑ clean cloth towels, paper towels are
acceptable materials. Burns heal slowly and extensive burns require skin
shedding to heal. Also when curing for burns take care of these things to
prevent further suffering: do not place any heating device (pads, tapes, lights)
inside the enclosure or anywhere that the snake can come in direct contact with
it. Do not heat the entire floor or top of a vivarium.
Heat only a portion of the enclosure that will allow the snake to thermoregulate and select cool areas according to its needs.
Do not place the snake's cage in direct sunlight especially if it's made of
glass.
Homeopathy for
snakes
If the snake is
very much feared, give Aconite. For eye cap problem, apply Thuja. For cold or coughs, give Nat Mur. For scale rotting, give Mars Sol and/or Heper Sulph should be given
alternatively. For mouth sores, give Hemma Melis. If the female snake suffers from egg binding problem,
give Pulsatilla.
Defanged
Snakes
When checking for
injuries, check the fangs of the snake as well. Defanging is very cruel and illegal under the Wildlife
Protection Act 1972. Fangs are the most important part of snakes as they are
directly connected to a venom gland and are useful for self‑defense and
necessary for food. Snake venom is a highly concentrated digestive juice that
contains proteins, enzymes and plasma. If the snake is defanged it might smell
badly from its mouth due to maggots and pus formation causing septic. You can
check the capula or gums to see whether the snake has
been defanged or not.
If you keep
extracting venom from a snake over a period of time, that would be cruel. In the
Treating a
snake
Snakes feel pain
as intensively as we humans, so be careful and gentle when treating a snake. As
stated earlier, any antibiotics injected should be in the front half of the
body. Different antibiotics have different characteristics and are effective
against different bacteria. The choice should be based upon a culture and a
sensitivity test. Proper dose must be administered because the proper drug
administered at the wrong dose is actually a poison that may cause organ damage
or death. A highly irritating substance accidentally injected into the lung may
cause pneumonia. Therefore, consider all such things before attempting the
treatment of the snakes in your care.
Rehabilitation
In the first
instance, the snake is generally in a good condition unless injured by sticks or
stones before the rescue, in which case the snake might have to be kept in
captivity until the wounds heal and then released. Otherwise, the sooner the
snake is released, the better.
It would also be
an advantage if the ectoparasites that are usually
found on most snakes are removed before the snake is released.
Most of the
snakes rescued from snake charmers are generally in a bad shape and need to be
nursed back to proper health before release. In the case of cobras or other
venomous snakes, the fangs have usually been broken using a blunt instrument
(like the opposite side of a knife blade), and the snakes have infections in
their mouths due to this. In cases where the fangs have been broken, the snakes
could be treated for mouth infection by the daily application of Mezatol or Butadine to the
effected area till new fangs develop. However an expert snake handler should
only do this, since the risk of being bitten is there. Some snake charmers also
remove the venom glands, in which case the snake will not survive in the
wild.
Housing
The necessity of
housing snakes for a short period of time may arise when a snake is injured or
is in other wise poor health. If you want to keep a snake in your house, you can
either use mud pots or you have to build a vivarium.
Snakes are shy creatures and should be kept in an area with minimal disturbance.
It is best to provide in the enclosure, a dark place like an inverted pot with a
small hole, under which the snake can hide and feel safe. Clean water should be
provided at all times and the enclosure should be kept clean. Food should be
provided once in 3‑7 days, depending on the species of the
snake.
The needs of
different kinds of snakes are specific and you have to provide them with their
kind of environment for them to survive. For example, snakes of Rajasthan would
require a dry atmosphere. But if you give it any humidity or if there is
humidity in your area, where you live, then there is a disease condition called
tail rot in which the end of the tail starts getting infected. This is a wound
and it is basically due to increased humidity. It happens even in human beings.
If your skin comes in contact with a wet area, then it becomes very soft, it
scuffs off and you find an ulcerated wound. It might get infected with bacteria
and may not heal, if you don't give it the right treatment. All this is just to
emphasize that you have to provide a snake with the environment from which it
comes.
There are no
standard houses for snakes. Usually enclosures are prepared on the basis of
their size and more importantly, their behavior. While some snakes are
semi‑aquatic, others are adapted to desert conditions. Mostly snakes are kept in
special display glass cages. This is
the kind of cage that is used to exhibit the snake to visitors and
observers. This can be sliding, for access to the cage or completely detachable,
or access can be gained through the side or the top. But mud pots for those
involved in rescue operations where the snake is destined for immediate release
after observation are still the best for Indian
conditions.
All‑glass cages
are cages made entirely of glass such as fish tanks. These are useful for
habitat set‑ups for arboreal snakes or water snakes.
In all such
enclosures, when providing a climbing surface, place heavy logs directly on the
cage bottom for the snakes to rest or hide behind. Captive snakes will use a
hide box or other place of concealment. If forced to stay in the open many
snakes will become stressed and refuse to eat. You can provide natural hollow
barks. Items such as small stones and gravel, newspapers are perhaps the best
substrate as they are ingestible, cheap, safe and easily replenishable. Other options include sand, fine gravel,
earthen pots and rocks as they help snakes to moult.
Baby snakes can
be kept in plastic boxes that are intended for sandwiches etc. These boxes are
available in different sizes, cheap, readily available, easy to wash out and
very tough. Drill holes in the lid or sides for ventilation. Check the lids or
they might just snap off. The snakes can be fed, watered and cleaned out
regularly and if necessary, you can change a proportion of the boxes on a
regular basis to prevent dirt from accumulating. Keep extra boxes handy in case
of any damages. Put the snake boxes with snakes in them in wooden shelves to
prevent them pushing off their lids.
Environment
One of the most
important factors is to keep the snake in an area where the temperature is not
too high or too low, because snakes are ectotherms and
cannot regulate their body temperature on their own. This should be kept in mind
even when the snake is being transported from one place to another. Even an hour
of too high or too low temperature can be fatal for the
snake.
Snakes are known
to be most active and comfortable at temperatures between
25‑30 degree centigrade. This is known as the preferred body temperature
of the snakes. The total enclosure does not require maintenance. Temperature can
be very simply maintained by observing the behavior of the snake. If the snake
is regularly moving from one side of the cage to another, it may be inferred
that the temperature is perfect and desirable.
However, it must
be stated that it is extremely difficult to accurately maintain and control
temperature. In
It would be
preferable to place some amount of natural life inside the enclosure depending
on the habitat of the snake. Only put something, which can easily be cleaned and
occupies little space. Some plants or stones are appropriate. There must be a
bowl inside the enclosure filled with water up to half its capacity and not
more. A round earthern bowl shall suffice. This bowl
should be buried in the substrate in such a manner that water is available to
the snake at ground height. Snakes find it quite difficult to climb. Water
should replenished every 2 days and the bowl cleaned at
the same time. Both the bowl as well as the enclosure must be cleaned using a
solution of Sodium Hypo Chlorate and rinsed properly.
Quarantine
Check for signs
of mite or other parasites when you get the snake. Separate the newly acquired
snake from other snakes or animals. Do not move instruments, water bowls or
uneaten food items from one enclosure to another. Use paper towels and dispose
them off after each use, rather than using cleaning rags which could
inadvertently be used from one enclosure to another spreading
pathogenic organisms along the way.
Psychological
Factors
These factors
play an important role in keeping captive snakes healthy. They include handling,
visual stimulation caused by human activity, the presence or absence of mates,
prey size, hiding places and environment stability. You must restrict handling.
Always try offering dead food items first as a dead food item is far less
intimidating to most snakes. Put a hide box in the cage to provide security to
improve its appetite, digestion and breeding behavior and also increase its life
span. Do not place the enclosure on an unstable shelf as it may increase stress
causing a loss of appetite.
Aggression in
captive snakes
A hungry snake
will sometimes attack either its mate or its keeper. This misdirected behavior
is commonly caused by visual stimuli. A snake keeper who has just handled a
rodent and then attempts to handle a snake, the snake smelling the rodent on the
warm hand, may confuse the hand with prey and strike it. Two snakes housed in
the same enclosure may compete for food in an aggressive manner. Territorial
disputes can become a common cause of aggression because of food, cover, basking
sites, breeding places or laying places they provide. Snakes bite in
self‑defense when cornered, trapped or restrained. Quick movements on the part
of a handler sometimes seem to frighten snakes. Firm restraint about the middle
of a snake's body will often elicit a bite.
Snakes living
non aggressively in captivity for years may suddenly
become aggressive when they are placed either outside or in a different
enclosure for a short period of time. Snakes crowded into a small area may be
agitated constantly by physical contact with other animals. Snakes handled
relatively peacefully at room temperature may become extremely aggressive and
bite repeatedly after they have been warmed up.
Record
keeping
This is a very
important function and unless records are maintained, the whole exercise of
keeping snakes goes waste. Each enclosure should bear all the details of the
captive snakes inside it. Some important details are the type of species, food
habits, sloughing dates, weight on regular intervals, treatments, size of the
snake, if dead then the cause of its death, etc. An identification system must
be maintained so that analysis can be used for future
reference.
Feeding of snakes
There is no
standard food for snakes. They feed on a large variety of animals, ranging from
ants, termites and slugs up to large animals. They have no means of dismembering
their prey and so they swallow it whole. Most snakes are given food like geckos,
wall lizards, earthworms, frogs, rats, chicken, birds, snakes, eggs, etc. A
majority of snakes offered for sale by poachers and vendors are rodent eaters.
Such species need to be fed with their natural prey from time to time.
Sometimes to feed
snakes you need to breed mice alongside the snakes. The mice are to be cared for
and fed, just like the snakes. Snakes can swallow a day old chick at one time.
However, this must not be made into a regular habit. You can collect earthworms
and store them in a wooden or polystyrene box containing about 20 cm. of soil
mixed with a good quantity of dead leaves.
Methods of
feeding
The choice of
food depends on the type and size of the snake. For example, a small cobra will
eat small frogs. Snakes will eat anything from insects, butterflies, lizards,
small mice and chickens and large rats as in the case of pythons. Some snakes
like sand boas may prefer only warm blooded animals such as rodents or
birds. The whip snake may refuse to
eat unless given lizards or birds. Sea snakes will take fish. With the exception
of worms, all food given to snakes must be dead but sometimes a snake might
refuse to eat unless it is given live food. A live rat can often mutilate or
even kill a snake in its cage. The advantages of having dead prey are that they
can be stored for use for a period.
Some snakes eat
other snakes. The king cobra feeds exclusively on other snakes. Kraits also are
known to eat mainly snakes. It may seem funny but the most ideal food for a
snake is a snake, because it fits perfectly inside the body of a bigger
snake.
Some reasons why
snakes refuse to eat food are:
Try to hide the
snake food behind some rock or beneath some natural life inside the cage. Snakes
like to discover their food from such places and once they do, they will
commence eating naturally. In some cases, the food has to be stored for a day
before.
Some snakes seem
unable to recognize food unless it is moving. Jiggle it or drag it slowly in
front of the snake's nose a few times. This will stimulate the snake to strike
and begin the swallowing process. Some species only like to eat frogs and
lizards. In these situations, a live mouse anointed with the smell of their
favourite prey is set into the cage. The snake jumps at the mouse and commences
eating what it assumes to be its natural food.
If these methods
do not work then it is important to force feed the snake. First, pin down the
snake’s head with a stick and then hold it gently behind its head with your
forefingers, and the thumb. Open its mouth with a spoon or an instrument. Having
done this, place food into the snake's mouth urging it to swallow and consume
it. Should this not work you must go for a slightly more drastic action.
Begin to push a
spoon down its throat while opening its mouth with a hand and forefinger. Once
the spoon has entered the mouth, you may release very gently some food into it.
If food is unable to carry on downwards, you must lubricate the food by dipping
it in egg yolk. Another way is to feed the snake through a nozzle down its
throat. This diet is fortified with mouse and other required vitamins.
What a snake is
trying to say
Here's what a
snake is trying to say when they do certain things:
Tongue darting
back and forth ‑ It has found
something interesting.
Closemouthed
striking, followed by flattening of the
body ‑ Do not bother
the snake and just go away.
Openmouthed
breathing ‑ There is a
problem in its respiratory system.
Constantly
soaking in its water bowl ‑ The snake is feeling very hot.
Basking in the
sun ‑ The snake is trying to raise its body
temperature.
Musking ‑ The snake is not happy and when it's not happy it will make
things difficult for you as well.
Giving
Birth
Sometimes when
you rescue a snake, you may come across one which is gravid or pregnant or
sometimes a snake rescued from a snake charmer may lay eggs while you are taking
care of it. In this case it would be better if you took care of the eggs till
they hatch. You should release the young ones in a thickly forested area where
they will find lot of food.
All snake eggs
are contained in a semi permeable flexible shell and absorb water throughout
their development. Therefore, females seek out a damp substrate to lie. This may
consist of a pile of decomposed vegetation. For captive snakes, vermiculite or
similar substratum are reasonably sterile materials
that can be used. Slight moistening may be provided if there is need for the
same. This is placed in a container such as a
plastic box of the appropriate size and placed inside the enclosure. Give the
female a bit of seclusion by cutting a hole in the lid and letting her enter
through this rather than leaving the box open and this also prevents the
substrate from drying out too quickly. Once she lays the eggs, remove them for
artificial incubation. An exception to this rule is the python species where in
the female python herself incubates her eggs by coiling
over them.
Incubation
periods vary between species but normally it can be estimated between 60‑90
days. When the young are fully formed, the eggshell begins to shrink and wrap
itself around the body of the snake beneath. Shortly the young ones make one or
more slits in the shell using what is called their egg tooths. Many times snakes wait for up to 2 days before
emerging from the cracked shell. There is no point trying to feed these young
ones, as they will not eat anything until they have sloughed for their first
time. All young ones need to be kept together in spite of their cannibalistic
traits.
What to expect
when your snake is expecting:
Snake
Pits
Snake pits are
large enclosures with high walls used to keep a large number of snakes in snake
parks. The floor of the pit should be concrete, over which you should have mud
as a substrate. The reason why you have a concrete bottom is because when you
are dealing with wild snakes, they sometimes do not eat dead mice whereas live
mice, when thrown in the pit, might burrow and come out. Over the concrete subsubstrate you add soil or mud.
Such snake pits
are also useful for education and exhibition, though nowadays snake pits are out
of fashion. The approximate size of the snake pit is 20 feet by 20 feet and the
depth of the pit is 19 feet. You can keep a variety of snakes. They don't
require much space. If you intermix species, some may
eat the smaller snakes. But if you keep same species, they usually do not eat
each other. Sometimes you find cobras and vipers eating other snakes just for a
change in diet. Cobras normally eat rats and mice; when they grow bigger, they
even eat big rats. They might eat other
snakes for a change and also eat frogs as they have a varied diet.
Most snakes
prefer a humidity of 50 to 80 percent and a temperature of about 30 degrees
Celcius. You can have a water pond inside the pit.
Snakes and other
reptiles do not have sweat glands as we have, so they change their skin. They
outgrow their old skin and come up with a new skin every once
in two months or three months depending on the age and species. To be
able to remove its skin, provide humidity for molting. You can leave wet bricks
for the snake to start rubbing against to come out of its old skin. If you are
going to keep tree snakes, then make sure you have some branches for the snakes
to rest. Ensure that the surface is completely smooth so that they remain in
their pits. This is one kind of housing where you can have many kind of snakes together.
Another habit of
these snakes is basking in the sun in the early hours of the day or in the late
hours of the evening. They never bask in the afternoon heat. Therefore the pit
should be constructed in such a way that it only receives the sun's rays in the
early hours of the day. Cover it from the top to disallow the afternoon heat.
And when the sun sets allow the last rays of the setting
sun. Keep a small collection of stones or a part of the tree on the
substrate where the snakes can hide whenever they want to. Some snakes like to
burrow under the soil for resting.
.
Area of Release
It is best to
release any snake caught within 24 hours in a cool jungle place away from human
habitation, preferably in the evening, so that it can quickly hide from
predators.
Depending on the
species of snakes, the area of release should be chosen with care.
Water snakes
should be of course released close to water like a lake, pond, or any other
water body that is not likely to get dry.
Pythons and boas, prefer rocky areas, so a place with plenty of rocks and
good ground cover is best for them. Almost all snakes need water to drink, so it
is advisable to have a few permanent water holes around the area of release.
With all these factors like wild grass, trees and plenty of bushes, the
availability of prey is automatically taken care of, since these conditions
favor a varied variety of prey animals.
Defanged snakes
and even injured snakes are probably more likely to survive if released in a
safe place than looked after. They generally won't feed in captivity whereas in
the wild they can at least catch small prey like toads and frogs even without
fangs.
Timing of Release
Release snakes in
their natural habitat and much before the hibernating period. Most snakes prefer
to move around at night, so sun set would be the best time to release them. It
also gives them time to look for a place to settle down.
However in the
case of diurnal snakes like the rat snakes and tree snakes an hour before
sunrise would be the best time since the snakes will have enough time to settle
down before the day becomes too hot.
Non-venomous
snakes may be released in habited areas but choose a time when not many people
are around. Poisonous snakes may be handed over to the government snake park or
zoo if any
or released in the nearest wilds.
Personal
Hygiene
Anytime you
handle a snake you must wash your hands thoroughly with a good antibacterial
soap like Dettol. Even if you use regular hand soap,
the physical act of washing will in itself remove any potential pathogenic
organisms.
Never eat, drink
or smoke anything after handling a snake without first washing your hands. If
you use pens/pencils or books around snakes, they also get infected including
the doorknob of the snake room or cage. Do not rub your eyes after handling a
snake or when handling snakes' food items without first washing your hands. Do
not use the kitchen sink where dishes are washed or food is prepared for
cleaning or washing snake enclosures or their accessories including water bowls.
Use household bleach diluted to a solution of three to ten percent as a
disinfectant that is easily available and inexpensive.
What to do when a
snake escapes from under your care
If a snake does
escape from the enclosure in which it was kept there is a good chance that it is
still somewhere in your house. Put on a pair of good boots and gloves and search
the entire house. Start with the room in which it was kept and move thereafter
to all the rooms. Look behind doors and windows, inside shelves, drawers and
cupboards which are generally kept open, under furniture, under mattresses,
washing machine, fridge etc. Make a thorough search. There are no special or
likely places the snake could hide. It could be anywhere. Remember it is in
unfamiliar territory and probably wants to find a way to get out but doesn’t
know how.
A thorough search
needs to be made as soon as you discover the snake is missing because you cannot
take this matter lightly and hope the snake will get hungry and return for food.
So putting any bait to try and entice the snake to come out of hiding is of
little or no use. Instead search thoroughly in every possible place in your
house till you find the snake or are confident that it is not in the house at
all.
If it is no
longer in your house you can give a quick search in the compound. However you
need not worry about the snake anymore since it is unlikely to remain for long
in the compound and will probably have made its getaway already.
How to travel
with a dangerous snake
Snake
Charmers:
Snake charmers
these days are the people who are most cruel to snakes. All the snakes that you
see with them meet their end a few months later. They do not feed them; instead,
the few weeks or months the snakes are with them, are spent torturing them and
abusing them. Cobras have their fangs pulled out and some snakes (particularly
pythons) may have their mouths stitched. The snake charmers roam with their
snakes in the hot sun.
Snakes have no
ears. The only reason a cobra raises its hood is not because it is charmed by
the music from the bheen, but because it is paranoid
of the huge snake charmer moving the bheen in front of its face.
Everybody likes to see a cobra with its hood up. Therefore the snake charmer
keeps torturing it or hitting it till it raises its hood (a purely defensive
action).
Snakes can live
without food for long periods of time so they suffer a long time before they die
of exhaustion and injuries. Without their fangs, and with their venom glands and
mouths slashed beyond repair, they have no chance of survival. A human being
under one of these snake charmers would not survive more than two
days.
Often, you will
see a snake charmer with a mongoose. The mongoose is used for the snake shows
where it is made to fight with a cobra every ½ an hour depending on the show
time. The cobra is defanged and the mongoose also has its teeth broken so that
it may not kill the snake. Both animals are under a lot of pain. People have fun
watching the show.
The following
myths about snake charmers are best exposed:
Snakes dance to
the snake charmer's rhythmic movement: False. They
follow the flute out of terror as they apprehend danger. The snake responds not
to auditory but to visual cues. It does not follow these cues because it is
‘charmed’ but because it wants to attack.
Snake charmers
venerate their snakes: False. The only
thing they venerate is the money they get. They abuse the snakes, pull out their
fangs, starve them and eventually kill them. The ones with pythons will without
hesitation sell his snakes for their skin.
Snake charmers
release their snakes back to the wild: True. But the
reasons are far from altruistic. Snakes captured and defanged will not eat and
will die in 5‑6 weeks. The snake charmer does not release his snake so that it
may live, but so it may die. Released snakes usually have broken spines or are
unable to catch and digest food. Many times, their broken backs or induced
weaknesses render them immobile. They are consumed alive within 1‑2 weeks by red
ants. Since they have large fatty deposits, they will not die very soon in such
situations, and in fact die very slow and painful deaths.
Snakes drink
milk: False. Snakes
lack the necessary enzymes to digest milk and thus the milk passes out
uselessly. Sometimes snakes are force-fed milk by snake charmers. The milk gets
down their lungs and causes pneumonia.
Laws
Snakes are
protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Anyone violating the law by
capturing, exhibiting, killing a snake protected under the Schedule to the Act,
or even making an attempt to do so, is liable to be punished with a fine of
Rs.5000 and imprisonment of up to 6 years in jail.
The street
entertainers or madaris and snake-charmers do not have
a license to exhibit snakes so you can challenge them easily and confiscate the
snakes from them. You can threaten them with the police, tell them the laws, and
they will agree to hand over the snake, since they know that what they are doing
is illegal.
Sometimes, a
snake-charmer may try to scare you by threatening to throw the snake at you, so
you should have the capacity to handle snakes on your own.
Madaris defang their
snakes. This results in complications and even death for the snake. Even if the
snake survives, it won't eat afterwards and will slowly starve to death. It is
wholly inhumane and unnatural to deprive an animal of its means of defense and
its ability to hunt. Yes, it will not serve the purpose of the madari if the snake dies, but he will definitely sell it to
the leather export merchants for its skin.
Do not be taken
in by their stories about family traditions or business, poverty etc as excuses
for getting away from their crimes. Every society throws up its own alternatives
that need to be followed within the framework of the law itself.
If the snake
charmer does not hand over the snake, then take him to the nearest police
station and insist on lodging an FIR against him under the Wildlife Act. Get his
name and address so that one can keep a check to see if he is indulging in the
same crime again.
Release the snake
in a jungle or a green belt area, if possible near a water body. A snake rescued
from a snake charmer will be totally dehydrated and suffering from malnutrition
as it has not been fed adequate food and water. The condition of the snake is
very bad, so such snakes cannot be revived immediately. The metabolic rate of
the snake is very slow, so give medication regularly for three days. Contact the
nearest wildlife forest department or an animal welfare organization for
help.
Snake rescue
club
Young boys and
girls (two volunteers at least from each area or village) not less than 18 years
of age, and adults, can easily develop skills to enable themselves to handle
snakes in a proper and gentle manner for educative purposes. Catching or
rescuing snakes from domestic or industrial areas should be done by the trained
members of the club only. There should be proper equipment to communicate
promptly, transport availability and a first aid kit for the snake and the
rescuer. Club members should be well informed about the identification of
snakes, precautions, first aid and medical treatment of
antivenom.
Each member of
the club should be well informed about the ecological and scientific importance
of snakes.
The
End
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