Making Friends with Snakes (But from a Distance)

Come on, Anna. Get her out!

Here comes Bhuvaneshwar’s yorker.

And here comes Mitali’s straight drive!

I’ll get it...

Snaaaaake!

Thangachi, get me your bat!

Where is it?

Right next to our ball.

ANNA, STOP!

Before you hit us, please listen to our story.

I’m Naagin, a venomous Spectacled Cobra...

and I’m Dhaman, a non-venomous Ratsnake...

and we’re here to make friends with you.

BUT from a distance.

You know, snakes are just like people.

Yeah. In so many ways.

We’re beautiful.

We’re colourful.

We love to dress up.

Just like some people prefer to sit alone with a book, we like to be left alone too.

Yeah. Dhaman and I don’t really enjoy each other’s company. We’ve just come together for this book.

Sigh. The things we do for you!

But there are some differences. And that’s what makes us snakes!

Unlike most people, we’re unable to hear sounds.

We can’t digest ten idlis...

or drink milk. UGH!

But we LOVE our food!

But our sharp tongues and the Jacobson’s organ on the roof of our mouths give us a keen sense of smell.

Checkered Keelbacks love fish and frogs.

Shieldtails love earthworms.

Vinesnakes and King Cobras eat other snakes.

SLURRRRPPP!

Most of us love rats and mice. We eat all the pests that destroy your crops.

Remember, snakes down here on the ground are very frightened of humans, even children, towering over them. The only time we bite is in defence.

Most snakes found in India are non-venomous and harmless to people. Like ME!

Yeah, but Dhaman can inflict a really stinky odour.

Hey, that’s just my defence mechanism!

But there are four common venomous snake species—

including YOU!

Right. They’re responsible for 50,000 human deaths from snakebites in India every year.

Most bites are accidents that can be easily avoided, if you get to know us better.

So let’s meet the Big Four venomous snakes! Sorry, I’m using four grass strands because I don’t have fingers.

THE BIG FOUR

1. Spectacled Cobra

I can easily be identified by my hood and characteristic markings.

I am a great swimmer and love to hang out around water.

My appetite for rats brings me to fields, houses, messy kitchens and granaries.

When I’m threatened, my first response is NOT to bite. I do everything I can to warn you to stay away: raise my hood, hiss, and even make false strikes with my mouth closed.

It’s only when none of this works or if someone steps on me, grabs me or injures me, that I am forced to bite. My venom can prove lethal.

Raised hood: stay away.

False strike (with the mouth closed): you need to back off right now.

Actual strike: you need an ambulance!

2. Saw-scaled Viper

Most people think I’m harmless because I’m tiny.

Yep. Really tiny.

But my venom is very potent and I can strike with lighting speed!

I hang out in dry, open areas. I am difficult to spot because of my camouflage. So if you’re playing in these fields, you need to be watchful for me.

But don’t you worry; I’m not that difficult to identify!

You can tell I'm a Saw-scaled Viper by the zigzag patterns on my back.

I too warn before I bite. I coil up like a jalebi and hiss, with my scales rubbing against each other making a saw-like sound. (Yes, that’s where I get my name!)

Hissss: this means “This isn’t a jalebi you would want to touch”

Strike: Told you so!

3. Common Krait

Namaste! I’m among the most docile of snakes... and yet lethal!

That’s because my venom is the most potent of any Indian snake!

You can identify me by the thin white bands on my black hide.

Other non-venomous species like this Wolf Snake may resemble me, but best to keep away from us ALL.

Wow. You’re the worst alarm clock ever invented, Krait!

In my search for other snakes, rodents and lizards to eat, I crawl close to people sleeping outdoors without a mosquito net or on the floor. When they move or roll over in their sleep, I bite in self-defence.

4. Russell’s Viper

I’m the grumpiest of the big four. I like my personal space. A lot.

If disturbed, I can get REALLY cranky!

I’m often mistaken for non-venomous Boas and Pythons, and handled, and that’s a fatal mistake. Remember, if you see a chain-like pattern of markings on a snake’s back, it’s me.

This is an Indian Rock Python. Keep away.

This is a Common Sand Boa. Keep away.

This is me. Turn around and go home.

I sit hidden in bushes, camouflaged in leaf litter, waiting for my prey to come to me.

This can be dangerous for people walking in the dark without a torch.

Avoiding this guy should be easy, right? You kids don’t like to hang around grumpy old uncles anyway!

You snakes aren’t as bad as we thought! You seem like a fun bunch, if we keep our distance...

But how exactly do we keep a safe distance from snakes?

Avoiding us is easy. You just need to take these simple precautions.

1. When working in open fields or playing in open areas, watch where you place your hands and feet. Probing with a long stick can easily detect our presence.

2. Always use a torch at night when you walk outdoors, even near your home.

3. If your regular path is littered with leaves, clear the litter with a rake.

4. Clean your homes, kitchens and storehouses regularly to keep them rat-free.

5. When sleeping outdoors or on the floor, create a physical barrier around you with the help of a well tucked-in mosquito net. Four rewards: no mosquito bites, no scorpion stings, no krait bites, and you get to snore away happily until morning!

Rarely, snakebite accidents can happen despite taking the best precautions. You need to remember to take these steps.

Do not take the victim to a tantrik or a snake charmer for treatment

Do not cut the wound open

Do not tie ligatures around the wound

Do not apply herbal pastes over the wound

Rush the victim to the nearest hospital that can deliver Anti-Snake Venom and emergency care

I hope it never comes to that because I think you creatures are quite beautiful. And play an important role in nature and our lives!

Aww, thank you!

I’ll remember to help my mother clean the kitchen after every meal, so that rats don’t visit my house for scraps.

I’ll remember to tell my parents to buy a torch immediately so that they return safely from the fields every evening.

And I’ll remember to tell Uncle to use the mosquito net. He loves to sleep outdoors and wake the whole village up with his snoring!

That’s the spirit, kids!

While you’re at it, don’t forget to thank us for all the rats we eat, each time you burp after a bowl of curd rice!

Hahahaha!

Madras Crocodile Bank

Have you ever been to the Madras Crocodile Bank? It’s a reptile zoo in Chennai, which works for the conservation of reptiles. Its project ‘Snake Conservation and Snakebite Mitigation’ teaches people about the importance of identifying which snakes are venomous, how to avoid them, and using antivenom serum.

Get more information about snakebites and the Croc Bank at www.madrascrocodilebank.org