Indian Monocled Cobra | Naja kaouthia

Labels: Monocled Cobra, Bengal Cobra, Nag Samp
Binomial name: Naja kaouthia
Common name: Indian Monocled Cobra

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Naja
Species:	N. kaouthia

Type: VENOMOUS

Distinguishing Features: Medium sized; smooth, shiny scales; wide head and neck; distinctive hood marking different from that of the Spectacled Cobra.

Average Length: 1 m; At Birth: 20 cm; Maximum: 1.5 m (male).

Description: Monocled Cobra’s skin is shinier, their hood rounder and smaller and the head smaller than that of the Spectacled Cobra. Their colour shows a lot of variation, ranging from yellowish to greenish brown, to black, with ragged bands. Their hood bears a striking white monocle. The underside is yellowish white. This snake superficially resembles the Spectacled Cobra, but there are several minor differences.

Distribution: They are commonly found in North-East India, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and the Andamans. Also, they are found throughout Bengal and Assam.

Habitat: They mainly dwell in much wetter areas than the Spectacled Cobra.

Habits: This Cobra, also known as Bengal Cobra, is mainly nocturnal. When bothered they spread their hood and hiss at the intruder, but bite only when it’s inevitable. While most of them are calm and unexcitable, there have been cases when they are found to be energetic and quick.

Young: Their eggs and clutch sizes are perhaps smaller than that of the Spectacled Cobra. The eggs are laid between January and March.

Food: This snake prefers munching on cold blooded preys like fishes and small snakes, but they also take frogs and rats.

Status: This sub-species is killed on a large scale for its beautiful skin.

Venom: The venom of Monocled Cobra is reported to be less toxic than that of the Spectacled Cobra. The anti-venom produced by the Haffkine’s Institute is effective against its bite.

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Saw-Scaled Viper | Echis carinatus

Labels: Saw-scaled Vipers, Carpet Vipers, Phoorsa

Binomial name: Echis carinatus

Common name: Saw-Scaled Viper

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Viperinae
Genus:	Echis
Species:	E. carinatus

Type: VENOMOUS

Distinguishing Features: Small; strongly keeled scales; head wider than neck; dull colour; cross mark on top of the head distinct.

Average Length: 30-50 cm; At Birth: 8 cm; Maximum: 8 cm.

Description: Saw-scaled Vipers are rough scaled snakes with large eyes, wider head than neck and stocky body. Their scales are deeply keeled. Their body colour is usually brown, greyish or sandy with a darker zigzag pattern on the back and a characteristic cross mark on the head. Their underside is white with brown speckles. Their tails are short and stubby. They are the smallest of the big four venomous snakes of India. They are less of a threat in South India because of their small size; however the Northern form grows large enough to be potentially dangerous member of the Big Four.

Distribution: They are found throughout India, mostly on plains. They are reported up to 2,000 m in the hills of North. They are found in plenty in some areas like Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, parts of Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh.

Habitat: They reside in the dry, sandy or rocky plains. They usually rest under rocks, behind barks, in thorny plants and other dry concealed places. Their favourite haunts include areas of laterite soil, boulders, and light scrub jungle with small hills and open dry tracts.

Habits: Mainly this viper is nocturnal and rarely makes a day-light appearance except possibly to bask in the sun after a cold, rainy night. This inconspicuous snake hides under rocks, bushes or in burrows during day time. They become very lively on humid or rainy nights and regular warm roads after dark. Saw-scaled Vipers get its English and Hindi names from the saw-edged keels of their lateral scales, which it rubs producing a ‘ssshhh’ sound which is similar to the hissing noise produced by other snakes during violent breathing.

Young: Female bears 4 to 8 living young between the months of April and August.

Food: They feed on lizards, mice, frogs, scorpions and few other arthropods.

Status: This species are plentiful throughout and are collected in large numbers in some areas like the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra for production of anti-venom at the Haffkine Institute.

Venom: Saw-scaled Vipers cause the largest number of venomous bites in the regions where they are very common. As this snake is fairly small, its bite is rarely fatal. Their venom is a strong blood coagulant, which after neutralizing the body’s clotting agent, causes a bleeding tendency similar to haemophilia. The bite can be treated by way such as anti-venom, transfusions, Vitamin K and calcium carbonate.

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Hook-Nosed Sea Snake | Enhydrina schistosa

Labels: Beaked sea-snake, Hook-nosed sea snake, Common sea snake, Valakadyn sea snake, Dariya samp, Samudhra samp

Binomial name: Enhydrina schistosa
Common name: Hook-Nosed Sea Snake

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Hydrophiidae
Genus:	Enhydrina
Species:	E. schistosa

Type: VENOMOUS

Distinguishing Features: Medium sized; rough, dull scales; body flattened, tail flat and paddle-shaped.

Average Length: 60 cm; At Birth: 15 cm; Maximum: 1.5 m.

Description: This Sea Snake is a quite short, stout snake with square nose and tip of the upper jaw protruding in a hook over the lower one, hence the name. Their overall colour is grey and there are dark round blotches on the back. Their scales are rather coarse and granular, unlike most of the snakes. The underside and bottom half of their body is white. Their tail is flat and paddle-like in appearance.

Distribution: Hook-Nosed Sea Snakes are found in the coast and coastal islands of India and are the commonest of the over 20 kinds of sea snakes found in Indian coastal waters.

Habitat: They are normally found in the deep sea but prefer coastal regions. Many a times they are accidentally captured in the inshore fishing nets.

Habits: In general not much is known about the sea snakes. Mostly, they seem to be active both during day and night. They rarely seem to rest, while continuously swimming around when awake. They can stay under-water for a maximum period of 5 hours and can dive to about 100 m. Like most of the sea snakes, this species rarely bite and there are hardly any incidences of death from their bites. Sea snakes are equipped with glands to discard excess salt from their body.

Young: All sea snakes bear 2-5 living young, except the Amphibious Sea Snake.

Food: Being sea snakes, their main item in food includes fish. Their highly toxic venom quickly paralyses the fast and slippery prey.

Status: Hook-Nosed Sea Snakes are common and not much exploited. In few countries Amphibious Sea Snake are slaughtered for their meat and some other species are hunted for their skins.

Venom: Their venom is rated four to eight times toxic as Cobra venom. Other sea snake venoms are almost equally lethal. Sea snakes do not have a highly proficient venom injection apparatus as the Vipers and Cobras do. Anti-venom for its bite is not available here, but is made in Japan and Australia.

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Slender Coral Snake | Calliophis melanurus

Labels: Indian Coral Snake, Coral Snake, Slender Coral Snake

Binomial name: Calliophis melanurus
Common name: Slender Coral Snake

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Calliophis
Species:	C. melanurus

Type: VENOMOUS

Distinguishing Features: Small, slender; smooth, shiny scales; blunt, black head; tail black, scarlet and blue.

Average Length: 25-35 cm; Diameter: 5 mm.

Description: Slender Coral Snakes are light brown and to some extent speckled. Their head and neck are black with two prominent yellow spots on top of the head. A shabby black ring is seen at their tail-base and tail-tip. The underside is consistent pinkish-red, bright scarlet at the vent and the underside of tail is bluish. Their heads are blunt and have the same width as the neck. Scales are smooth and faintly glossy. This Slender Coral Snake is one of the 5 Indian Coral Snakes, the other 4 being the hill forest species present in the Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas.

Distribution: This species is distributed in most parts of India on the plains, except Central and North-western India.

Habitat: Mostly Slender Coral Snakes are seen in the coastal scrub jungles, under leaves, brick and rubble piles, and sandy patches.

Habits: They are mainly nocturnal snakes, but on rare occasions become active in the early morning hours in the cooler months. They are fine burrowers in sandy soil and can lay motion-less with just their head noticeable. In excitement, they will curl their tails up and wave it, exhibiting their startling underside colours, thus mocking attention from the head.

Young: Not much knowledge is gathered about the reproduction of this snake, except that all Indian Coral Snakes are egg-layers. Few North Indian species have been found laying 6-14 eggs.

Food: They seem to feed on worm snakes.

Status: This species is considered a rare one, as described in the literature. Also, Coral Snakes are forest species and hence their number is reducing due to the declining forest areas in our country.

Venom: Evidently, nothing is known about the venom of these little relatives of Cobra.

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Banded Krait | Bungarus fasciatus

Labels: Banded Krait, Raaj Saamp, Gaoman

Binomial name: Bungarus fasciatus
Common name: Banded Krait

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Bungarus
Species:	B. fasciatus

Type: VENOMOUS

Distinguishing Features: Medium to large sized; smooth, shiny scales; wide vibrant yellow and black bands on the back.

Average Length: 1.5 m; At Birth: 25-30 cm; Maximum: 2.25 m.

Description: This snake is large, conspicuous yellow and black banded with prominent backbone, blunt tail and a rounded head, which is slightly distinct from the body. These bands are quite faded on their underside.

Distribution: Banded Kraits are reported in Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Bihar, and in some parts of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They are found up to 1,500 m above sea level.

Habitat: They find shelter in termite mounds and rodents holes close to water. They often live near villages because of their supply of rodents and water. Generally open plains are preferred by them.

Habits: Like other Kraits, this snake also ventures out only at night. This snake species are coy and soft tempered. Snake dealers handle them with little caution, but at the same time mention that they are lively at night. Not much is known about this beautiful snake, just like the other nocturnal Indian snakes.

Young: Generally females lay up to 12 eggs during the month of April. It takes around 60 days to hatch the eggs.

Food: The feeding habits of Banded Kraits are similar to that of Common Kraits. In fact, they also eat Common Kraits. Water-snakes and young rats are also eaten by them, in confinement. Banded Kraits kill their prey by suffocating them by means of their jaws. They also envenomate the prey and within 10-20 minutes it becomes moribund.

Status: Although being fairly common in India, this snake is infrequently seen.

Venom: Banded Kraits produce highly toxic venom, but they hardly bite and no deaths have been reported in India from its bite. So far no anti-venom has been produced against its venom in India.

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Common Krait | Bungarus caeruleus

Labels: Krait, Karait, Maneer

Binomial name: Bungarus caeruleus
Common name: Common Krait

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Bungarus
Species:	B. caeruleus

Type: VENOMOUS

Distinguishing Features: Medium-sized; smooth, shiny scales; head faintly wider than the neck; jet black, generally with distinct white cross lines.

Average Length: 1 m; At Birth: 25 cm; Maximum: 1.75 m (male).

Description: They are smooth, glossy, bluish-black snakes with rounded head which is slightly distinct from the neck. Their body colour varies from a dark steely blue-black to pale faded bluish-grey. They normally have around 40 thin white cross bands throughout their body. Few adults and young ones may have white spots along the first-third of the backbone in place of the cross lines. Their underside is white. Common Kraits are often confused with Wolf Snakes (Lycodon species) which are quite smaller, with flat, fairly pointed heads. This species is the best known of the 6 Krait species found in India and is one of the Big Four Dangerous Snakes.

Distribution: Common Kraits are found in most of India including the Andaman and Nicobars, up to 1,700 m above sea level. They are scarce in Bengal, Assam and Orissa, where Banded Kraits are found.

Habitat: They usually occur in sandy soil, termite mounds, burrows of small rodents and piles of brick and rubble, as they are mainly snakes of the plains. Despite the fact that they are common in some parts of the country like coastal area of Tamil Nadu, one rarely sees them.

Habits: Kraits are nocturnal and they hide during the daytime in holes of field mice and rats. They are short-fanged snakes with a bulldog clasp and extremely fast and active at night. When a male krait is introduced to a cage of captive specimens, a jerking dance often follows, at times ending in a serious fit of biting.

Young: Female lays up to 8 or 12 eggs around March to May which may hatch in May-July. The female incubates her eggs and stays with it like other snakes do.

Food: Kraits mainly take snakes, lizards and rodents. They are true cannibals and can even gulp small kraits from a captive group. Their favourite items include Striped Keelbacks and Olive Keelbacks.

Status: They are quite common and abundant in few areas. They dwell near human settlements and stay undisturbed because of their secretive nocturnal habits.

Venom: Kraits are extremely venomous and their venom induces nerve paralysis as it is highly toxic. As it leaves no local symptoms, a patient should be cautiously observed for signs of paralysis and treated immediately with anti-venom.

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