[Samurai]

Originally Posted by smartcat

The best book for identifying snakes in India is SNAKES OF INDIA: A FIELD GUIDE by Rom Whitaker. I just ordered my copy from Amazon.in.

I read his original book in 1982-83 when I was in highschool, because I suspected my grandmother was scaremongering about snakes, instead of giving the right info.

For example, she used to tell us...

Grandmother: If a rat snake bites you, there is no antidote....!
Me before reading the book: OMG!
Me after reading the book: Sure, because there is no need for an antidote.

Grandmother: If you touch a worm snake, your hands will rot!
Me before reading the book: OMG!
Me after reading the book: Nope, not really.

Grandmother: If you walk on the ground where the two-headed snake (Red Sand Boa) has passed, your foot will rot.
Me before reading the book: OMG!
Me after reading the book: Nope, not really.


Now that book is in opensource, it is called Common Snakes of India.

[Miyata]

Strange! I would have expected this thread to be in the "shifting gear" section!

It one thing to protect and find different home for the snakes, but to be an exhibitionist with it seems a bit unnecessary.

Aren't there are also varieties of cobra that spit the poison in a sharp trajectory targeting the potential enemy? Possibly lot more dangerous to deal with them. Fascinating, all the same.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Miyata

Strange! I would have expected this thread to be in the "shifting gear" section!

The thread started because of snake encounters during 4x4 offroad drives.

Originally Posted by Miyata

It one thing to protect and find different home for the snakes, but to be an exhibitionist with it seems a bit unnecessary.

I can't stand these snake performers. They usually die by snake bites when they get too careless.

Originally Posted by Miyata

Aren't there are also varieties of cobra that spit the poison in a sharp trajectory targeting the potential enemy? Possibly lot more dangerous to deal with them. Fascinating, all the same.

That's not an Indian species.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

As Samurai said,looks like a wolf-snake - often mistaken for a krait & killed.

Evolution backfires. The wolfsnake evolved to look like the krait so that other predators would mistake it for a krait and leave it alone.

Originally Posted by smartcat

- Vipers do NOT run away when approached by humans.

Someone should tell these Vipers that India does not have stand your ground laws!

Regards
Sutripta

[ROG_AK]

While driving back from Hampi Island, in the middle of the night, a few weeks back saw this on the roadside. Looks like it had just had a meal!

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by ROG_AK

While driving back from Hampi Island, in the middle of the night, a few weeks back saw this on the roadside.

You are very very lucky ROG_AK to spot that Indian Rock Python out in the open!!

It is quite a rare snake, and are quite skittish too.

[Joxster]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Rom Whitaker is a well-known herpatologist. Just Google his name and you will get a wealth of information on Indian snakes. He has made a couple of videos too (check Youtube)

- Vipers do NOT run away when approached by humans. Cobra and Krait try to flee from approaching humans.
- Krait bite is NOT painful. Hence many victims ignore the bite mistaking it to be a non-venomous snake.

I had seen these videos quite some time ago, but I am sharing them here in the interest of people's safety and understanding of these snakes

Russel's Viper strike in Slo-Mo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUN9gTfofsM

Spectacled Cobra & Saw Scaled Viper strike in Slo-Mo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJXx...p8rKa033_Fj75R

How Krait encounters usually happen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFA1...p8rKa033_Fj75R

A short, but very informative documentary on the 4 deadliest snakes of India, and tips on how to avoid close encounters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aUl-jQsLWs

Stay safe, and take all necessary precautions people!

Originally Posted by smartcat

General thumb rule about snakes (from my personal experience): Non-poisonous snakes flee (at heart attack inducing speed, especially rat snakes) pretty much immediately after they spot humans. Poisonous snakes are more likely to stay still

I see a lot of people calling snakes poisonous, but this is incorrect. Snakes are venomous, not poisonous.
Here's an excerpt from an article that explains the difference:

Poison is a toxin that gets into the body via swallowing, inhaling or absorption through the skin. Poisonous animals tend to be more passive-aggressive—they often won’t actively attack their prey, but release their toxins as a result of being eaten, touched or disturbed. A cane toad, which secretes toxins from glands on each shoulder, is a poisonous animal. It has to be ingested or licked to cause harm. Poison ivy is an example of a poisonous plant—touching it can result in an itchy and sometimes painful rash.

Venom is a specialised type of poison that has evolved for a specific purpose. It is actively injected via a bite or sting. Because venom has a mixture of small and large molecules, it needs a wound to be able to enter the body, and to be effective must find its way into the bloodstream. For this reason, venomous animals are more active in defending themselves. A taipan, which injects venom through syringe-like teeth, is a venomous animal. So are jellyfish, which inject venom into skin using venom-filled harpoon-like structures that shoot out from cells along their tentacles when touched.

Source

Cheers

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by audioholic

They should respect the capabilities of the reptile and just do what is necessary. In most of these catches, he spends a lot of time playing with the reptile and talking to people. Instead, he could first secure the reptile and then educate people and answer their questions. It will be fair to both sides.

Vava Suresh is considered a show off by herpetologists. Many a times he has been found giving off erroneous information. He poses to be an expert but is not. As you rightly said he plays with the snakes putting it under lots of stress

A few videos of the professional way of catching snakes

https://www.facebook.com/joju.nettoo...7919447987525/

https://www.facebook.com/joju.nettoo...8128207966649/

https://www.facebook.com/kts.panayal...6153015759591/

[Fillmore]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I read his original book in 1982-83 when I was in highschool, because I suspected my grandmother was scaremongering about snakes, instead of giving the right info.
.....

Originally Posted by smartcat

The best book for identifying snakes in India is SNAKES OF INDIA: A FIELD GUIDE by Rom Whitaker. I just ordered my copy from Amazon.in. Costs around Rs. 900......

Thanks for the suggestion , I just ordered a copy.

Btw I did some checking around and find that for those who want to have basic knowledge of Indian snakes but do not want to shell out around 900/- , there is this second best book on Indian Snakes: A Field Guide by Neelimkumar Khaire which is also illustrated with color photos and quite good. It costs Rs 220/-. Also available on Amazon

[vikram_d]

While on the subject of catching snakes, I recently witnessed a new method of snake catching/trapping. A new method at least for me.

We had a cobra in our factory compound and one afternoon it was busy digesting it's food near our security office. As soon as we spotted we called a neighborhood snake catcher.

This guy turns up with a four foot long 3 inch diameter PVC pipe. One end of the pipe plugged off by a PVC plug. He simply lays the pipe down on the floor near the snake with the open end pointed towards it's head and gently prods the snake with a stick. The startled snake looks at the pipe opening and it heads right in.

Normally when you catch a snake that has just had a meal, it will regurgitate the food and try to run. But with this method the snake didn't have to give up it's meal. It just went into the pipe as if of it's own free will.

Once the entire snake is in the pipe he just picks up the pipe, stands it up vertically and seals of the open end with a plastic sack.

This is the first time I have ever seen this method of catching snakes. It's quite innovative in my opinion.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by vikram_d

This is the first time I have ever seen this method of catching snakes. It's quite innovative in my opinion.

The videos I've posted shows the same method, except that there is a sack at the end of the pipe. This is the correct way of catching snakes - least physical handling. Safe for the handler, safe for the snakes

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by vikram_d

It just went into the pipe as if of it's own free will.
This is the first time I have ever seen this method of catching snakes. It's quite innovative in my opinion.

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

The videos I've posted shows the same method, except that there is a sack at the end of the pipe. This is the correct way of catching snakes - least physical handling. Safe for the handler, safe for the snakes

To all snakes, the pipe looks like a dark rodent hole - something that snakes regularly slither into. They feel safe inside that pipe/bag.

[vikram_d]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

The videos I've posted shows the same method, except that there is a sack at the end of the pipe. This is the correct way of catching snakes - least physical handling. Safe for the handler, safe for the snakes

Like I said first time for me.

Originally Posted by smartcat

To all snakes, the pipe looks like a dark rodent hole - something that snakes regularly slither into. They feel safe inside that pipe/bag.

Yeah I guessed that part when I saw the snake slither so happily into the pipe without giving up it's meal.

[shankar.balan]

We regularly see Cobras on the golf course. If you leave them be, they’ll leave you be.
Poor things. They also have a right to live on the great Blue Planet of ours.
Live and let live!
Dont harm Snakes. They are also an essential part of the eco system - keeping various other species in check - for example, rats and frogs and things.

[Vik0728]

They also have a right to live on the great Blue Planet of ours.

I think if we humans understood and respected this one thought, God's Green Earth would be a much better place, and how

I can never get over the fact that many "Decision Makers/Takers" of our society seldom consider other lives important.