Find a snake in your garden or hiding in the house? Call the “Friends of Snakes” helpline immediately.
We did and a volunteer got there as soon as he could. He also managed to rescue the Russell 's viper that was trying to find a place to hide in the adjacent vacant plot.
The Russell 's viper is a venomous snake, found all over India. Like all vipers it has a triangular head. The body is usually light brown in colour with three series of large brown /black ovals or spots running from head to tail, usually forming a chain like pattern along the centre of the body.
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The hiss of this beautiful viper is what gives it away. When disturbed it can make a hissing sound which is as loud as a pressure cooker. It is generally a slow moving snake, but when it attacks, it can move fast and strike at split second speed.
“We have around 52 species of venomous snakes in India. Of these only four are commonly seen, and are known as the big four venomous snakes of India. They are the Cobra, the Krait, the Saw Scaled Viper and the Russell's Viper,”' says Prahlad Menon, a Std. XI student of Army School RK Puram and also the youngest member of the Friends of Snakes Society.
“For our own safety and to maintain a balance in the snake population, all of us should be able to identify these four snakes.
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Each of these snakes has a distinct pattern and the Cobra as well as the Russell's Viper have a distinct warning mechanism, with which they ward off predators,” continues Prahlad.
The Friends of Snakes society, started by the late Rajkumar Kanuri, functions out of Sainikpuri Secundrabad.
The 250 members of the group live in various parts of the twin cities and help to rescue snakes from anywhere close to human habitation. The rescued snakes are released in the forest areas outside the city limits, with the permission of the AP Forest Department.
On the increase
“Last year, the number of Russell's Vipers that were rescued from within the city is astounding. Loss of habitat and climate change are the main causes for the change in the living pattern that snakes follow. For the first time, we have rescued Russell's Vipers all through the year, which indicates a change in the habits of this species,” says Vishvesh, a volunteer with the society.
“Venomous snake bites are not necessarily fatal,” he says, “with the right first aid and timely medical intervention a victim's life can be saved.”
The only cure for bites from any of the big four venomous snakes is the Polyvalent anti venom serum. This medicine is available at all chemist stores and is usually stocked in all medical centres.
For more information on snakes one can log onto the website www.planetsnakes.org.
For snake rescues or to organise snake demonstrations, one can contact Mr Vishvesh @9849148184.