Latest news with #IndianRatSnake
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
56% of snakes rescued in Telangana so far are venomous
A total of 5,954 snakes were rescued across Telangana between January 1 and June 30, 2025, by Friends of Snakes Society (FOS) in coordination with the Telangana Forest Department. Of them, 56% (3,337) of them were venomous and the rest were non-Venoumous, which were relocated to suitable forest habitats. 'Majority of the rescues happen in Hyderabad and surrounding districts of Medchal-Malkajgiri, Rangareddy, Medak, and Hyderabad,' said Avinash Visvanathan, FOS's general secretary. Among venomous species, the Spectacled Cobra accounted for the majority of cases, with 2,970, followed by 344 Russell's Vipers and 23 Common Kraits. Non-venomous rescues included commonly encountered species such as the Indian Rat Snake, Checkered Keelback, and Bronzeback Tree Snake, along with rarer species like the Indian Rock Python, Red Sand Boa, and Barred Wolf Snake. Besides the rescue work, FoS conducted over 200 snake awareness workshops, reaching over 40,000 individuals at schools, colleges, police and forest academies, public institutions, and rural communities. The focus was on the ecological importance of snakes, safe practices during snake encounters, first aid for snakebites, and debunking prevalent myths. The society's 24/7 helpline number is 8374233366.
The Hindu
15-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Indian Rat Snake vying for official reptile of Kerala status
Indian Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosa), regionally known as Chera, may be notified as the Official Reptile of Kerala. The State Board for Wildlife, which will meet next week, will consider a proposal for notifying the snake, also known as Manja Chera and Karinchera as the official reptile. Only 25% of all snakes are poisonous, and it's important to protect them, say snake lovers The non-venomous snake, which has been included in Schedule One of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, has been accorded the highest legal protection. The species, which is commonly found in human habitations, plays a major role in controlling the rodent population that damages agricultural crops including grains and tubers in fields and farmlands that spread infectious diseases. Rat Snakes, which are carnivorous, also consume the hatchlings of venomous and dangerous snakes, such as cobras, according to the proposal for notification. Rat snakes, also known as friends of farmers, have great conservation value and shall be protected by declaring it as the State Reptile. The species is found in most parts of the country including Andaman Island. Also read | How to make space for snakes The campaign also highlighted the aspect that most deaths in human-wildlife conflicts were owing to snake bites. The Forest Department has been utilising the service of trained and certified volunteers for handling snakes and has popularised a mobile application SARPA to prevent incidents of snakebite. Though the species has been categorised as a species of Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species owing to its wide geographic range and relatively large population, 'it is heavily exploited for various uses throughout its range and has experienced high rates of decline in parts of its range.' The species may be threatened by overexploitation for food, skins, and medicinal purposes, as it is heavily traded and used throughout its range and is considered to have undergone significant population decline. 'The global population trend of the species is decreasing,' noted the assessment report. The snake is found in diverse habitats, including forests, forest clearings and edges, open tropical dry forests, savannas, scrublands, plantations, villages and cultivated areas. 'It feeds on rodents, but also eats birds, lizards, frogs and other snakes. It lays several clutches per year of up to 18 eggs,' according to the assessment report. The large-bodied snake, which is commonly found near human habitation, is consumed locally in parts of its range, especially in northeastern Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is also sold alive in markets and used in the snake wine industry in Vietnam and traded for food, skins, and medicinal purposes in Indonesia, according to the Red List.
