The Gazetteers Department

This district spreading over an area of 4,110 square miles is bounded by the Satpuda mountain ranges in the north, the Ajanta hill ranges in the centre and small hills in south-west regions. These hilly tracts have formed important plateaus in the district. One of them, is Payanghat area in the north which rises from 1,500 to 1,800 feet above sea level and the Balaghat area in the south, which encloses the Washim plateau. In the rural population of the district there are a number of tribals called Gonds, Korkus and Vanjaras. It is significant to note that the Korkus who live primarily in the hilly regions observe Nagpanchami as one of their religious annual festivals when they worship the images of cobra snakes, like the other Hindus in the villages. The Gonds worship Mahadeo and an assortment of wood marked concentrations called Lakkad-Deva. Snakes have been found in these concentrations. The Vanjaras (Lamanis) have an important temple at Pohra in Mangrul tahsil and this is designated as the temple of Pohradevi. There is no statue inside except a flag and a tamarind tree planted years back by the famous Saint Sewabhaya. Worship at this shrine is said to keep out chances of all troubles including snake bites.

History bears ample testimony to the fact that the region must have been well afforested, fertile and full of life. The equator theory probably justifies the present day heat of Akola, which is presumably the hottest area, and in olden times there may have been deep tropical forests with quite an amount of rainfall, and subsequent wild life in the region. This will include the snakes. At present some such forest is seen at Narnala fort which has extensive grasslands on top and some good forests all over. Within the rocky walls of Narnala fort it holds a number of species of snakes. Of late a number of Peacocks have been introduced which are probably driving these reptiles away. A new housing scheme recently launched would certainly reduce the snake population and increase the rats. At the foot of the hill in the Shanur village and further down people complain of snake-bites during the rainy season and instead of medication, they go to a snake temple at Shivpur which according to supposition would cure snake bite. Here in a mud hut lies a brass coiled image of a cobra. Persons with snake-bite go to this place, light a cotton-wick oil lamp and pray. There is a legend that about 200 years ago a cowherd on being caught in a storm met a man-figure of snake who informed him that no one bitten by a snake would die if he went to this temple. Once a year a large number of pilgrims flock to the place to worship the snake image at Shivpur, which is about six miles from Akot. The local people call the different kinds of snakes by the name bing. They also mention other kinds, such as, Fefra, Dudhiya, Nango, Tidkya, Landi and Kalanag, which from their description may be equivalent to Echis Carinatus, Cobra, Russell's viper, Dryophis nasutus, Eryx conic us and a black variety of cobra, respectively.

On the way to Washim near Medshi forest there is a village called Nagthana, where a person bitten by a snake is taken. Similarly people in the Medshi-Patur region of scrubbed forest also take the victim of snake bite to temples for a positive cure. There are instances as for example near the village Duwa where a saintly person is supposed to cure snake bite cases. At this place is the Samadhi of one Nagenath Saint near about which lies buried a cobra. Though a visit to the place is supposed to cure snake bites it was revealed that many of these were cases of non-poisonous snake-bites. Local names like Chilati, Piwalya Aar, Parad, Lohu, Shilati, Mandkya, Mandol, Dhaman, Fafrut, etc.,' indicate the existence of snakes.

In the central region from Balapur to Karanja, cobra, rat snake, water snake, whip snake, Sandboa, Natrix-stolata are commonly known. Near Kamaragaon village there is a Nagthana with images of coiled cobras where victims of snakebite are brought for cure.

It will thus be seen that the district has a variety of snakes both poisonous and non-poisonous. Instances of snake-bites are frequent and belief prevails that the victims could be cured by non-medical ministrations. Many of these instances are of non-poisonous snake-bites but in cases where the bite is from a poisonous snake which has given a lethal dose of venom the victims could be cured by the injection commonly of a specific serum.

The following are the snakes found in the district.

Non-Poisonous.

Typhlops Braminus. — This is a primitive blind snake, having imbricate scales on the body. It is about six inches long, brown in colour, and about one inch in diameter. One sometimes meets with this snake in gardens and even in bath-rooms in residential quarters. It feeds on decaying vegetation and insects. Locally it is known as Kawdya and is seen more in the forest regions.

Uropeltis Sp.—This snake is found in the forest regions of Narnala fort. It grows to a length of about one foot, and has a girth of about two inches. It is deep brown with small patches of yellow and red spots on the body. The tail is blunt, and one end shows a rhomboid edge which is prominent on side only. This surface is rough and the tip is sharp. The entire tail end is probably used for digging. It is a rare snake found in the district and is seen more during the rainy season, digging inside rotting leaves and feeding on insects, spiders, slugs and probably small frogs.

Eryx Conicus.— This snake is found all over the district. It has a blunt tail which looks akin to a head region. There is a belief that this snake moves for some months from the tail side. This is erroneous. The colour is chocolate brown with variegated patches of white spots on the upper side. The scales on the lower side do not reach the ends. Normally it is found hiding but when seen in day light, it remains coiled and darts at the victim and gives a painful bite. It feeds on frogs, lizards, and small mammals Local people call it Mandol. In parts of the district it is also called Aar or Landi.

Ptyas Mucosus.— Locally known as Dhaman, this snake is very common all over the district. It grows to 10 feet in length and is camel yellow with black and brown marks especially in the tail region. It is a very agile snake that virtually jumps to climb a tree. It always ties a knot by its tail to hold a branch and also secretes a foul smelling odour when handled. It feeds on rats and is a friend of the farmer in this respect. The eggs of this snake laid in the month of June in moist earth are collected for food by many tribesmen.

Coluber Ventromaculatus. — This is a faint green snake with a white belly. It grows to three feet and the circumference is never beyond six inches. Sometimes it has black cross bars and a black stripe on the neck. People call it Nagin. In some varieties the colour is whitish grey and such snakes are called Dudbuia. They feed on frogs, lizards, birds and sometimes small mammals.

Lycodon Aulicus. This is the common wolf snake known locally as Chilati or Kuwadivala, found in cultivated gardens and often coming inside houses. This is brown with grey spots having white reticulated cross-bar type spots all over the upper surface. The snake is nocturnal in habit and grows upto 2 feet, feeding on lizards and eggs of birds.

Oligodon Arnersis.—This grey snake with deep brown or black cross-bars is also found near habitations and often mistaken to be a Krait. It differs from a Krait in having paired anal scales and the absence of hexagonal dorsal scales. It can be handled easily and is found to feed on lizards, birds and small mammals.

Poisonous.

Catlophis Melanurus.—This snake is locally called Lohu. It is light-brown above with a brown mark at the end of each dorsal scale which forms longitudinal lines on head and back with yellow spots. The ventral surface is pink in living snakes. Local people in the hilly regions believe that the bite of this snake kills a man before sunrise, when bitten at night. That is why the snake is sometimes called Raat. The venom is neurotoxic.

Naja Naja.— This is cobra, a snake locally known as Nag, Domi or Gahuwa. It always has a hood, which may have a biocellate mark or no mark at all. No other snake can raise its head one foot above the ground and expand the hood in a menacing way when alarmed like this one. It hisses and tries to strike the victim within a radius of 2 feet on the frontside. Apart from the biocellate mark on the dorsal side of the hood it has three faint dark bonds or spots. There are three scales behind the eye. The third upper lip scale is very big and touches the eye and the nasal part and there is a triangular wedge like scale between the 4th and 5th lower lip scale.

It is the most common poisonous snake in the district growing up to six feet and frequenting both grass-lands, farm and residential gardens. It is worshipped on the Nagapanchami day. People are normally reluctant to kill it. The snake feeds on frogs and small mammals and is oviparous laying a maximum of 60 eggs during April. The twining of the cobras observed during monsoon is not a mating dance but two males fighting.

Normally this snake hisses to give a warning. Similarly it is not seen during broad day light. It strikes to frighten and many a time it may cause a scratch without injecting any poison. When a lethal does of the poison is given, the patient can only be saved by the injection of an antivenin. The venom is neurotoxic, and the death is due to paralysis and consequent respiratory failure. In case of bite, it is always desirable to give the antivenin.

Bungarus Coeruleus.—This steel blue snake with single or double white cross-lines across the body is very timid and hides between stones. It has a central row of hexagonal scales on the dorsal side and a duplicate anal scale. The length does not go beyond four feet and the snake is seen hiding between crevices. It is a very poisonous snake. The lethal dose that could cause the death of a victim is 6 milligrams but the cobra injects 12 milligrams and a Russell's Viper 15 milligrams. The venom is highly neurotoxic and only a proper antivenin given in time saves the victim. The symptoms for both cobra and krait snake poisoning are slight pain at the site and gradual loss of sensation of the extremities which travels up leading to paralysis of neck muscles and frothing by mouth. The death results due to respiratory failure. The snakes lay eggs in April which hatch in June. Locally it is called Dandekar or Manyar. It feeds on rats or small snakes.

Russell's Viper.— People call this snake as Mandkya or Tidkya. It frequents shady woody regions and when disturbed hisses very loudly and continuously. It is brown with three chains of elliptical deep brown marks dorsally and tiny black spots between scales ventrally. The head is triangular and bears tiny scales. It normally lies coiled up, but when disturbed it takes a lever spring force from the coils and hurls the head at the victim. It has bigger fangs than a cobra, and its teeth are hollow like the injection needle. The bite is very painful. There is a swelling at the site of the bite, which gradually goes up, along with liquid oozing from the bite. The death is due to heart-failure. The poison is vasotoxic and the victim can be saved only by the administration of an antivenin. This snake does not lay eggs, but the female gives birth to about 97 young ones within three days. It is also called Ghonas or Gunus and is seen to feed on rats.

Echts Carinatus. -This snake is called Fafrut or Phoorsa or Afai by local people. It is found in the reddish soil regions near rock accumulations. The snake is small, never growing to more than 18 inches. It moves by side winding motions by keeping its head in the centre and making a noise which is due to the rubbing of the serrated scales on the body. It often lies hidden in red dry soil and attacks by jumping to a height upto 12 inches. The body is deep brown with variegated brown patches all over end an arrow-head mark on the head. It feeds on insects, centipedes, lizards and small frogs. The poison of this snake is vasotoxic with the addition of a narcotic factor. The lethal does for an average size man is 6 milligrams, but due to the small size of the snake a much smaller dose is injected. The site of bite causes intensive pain and swelling. In due course there is oozing and also necrosis. The victim may not die due to this poison because often it is in a sub-lethal dose but the bite starts bleeding from nose, eyes, gums, and even kidney. The venom destroys the clotting attribute of blood and the patient may die due to the secondary reactions rather than the actual poison. The birth cycle of this snake is generally during the monsoon and it is at this time that the bite by this snake is more common.

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