GENERAL

SNAKES

The Satpuda range of mountains divide the district in the east from Chhattisgarh, the same range cuts it off in the north from Balaghat and the river sheds form deep forests in the south that adjoins the Chandrapur district. Three distinct plateaus divide the district into three natural zones; the Gaimukh, Ambagarh in the north, Gaikhuri and Salekasa in the centre and east and Pratapgad region in the south.

The rich natural setting has been responsible for a rich fauna in the area. The large number of tanks and 8,695 wells have established fresh water fishery an important occupation. The fisherman community is found everywhere and worship a God called Samudradeo. In fact all over the district this community has some bhagats who are supposed to cure snake-bite cases either by a herb or by chanting of a mantra. Every village has a Hanuman temple. The village border has a Guthiyadevi and the field border a Sevayadeva. The Gonds have Dhuladeva in all houses in building beams and the priests are either Joshi, Gar-pagari, Bhemak or Bhagat. At all these places of worship many a victim of snake-bite are taken to be cured. Near Amgaon is a Siddha hill which is made up of huge round stone boulders with crevices. Snakes, particularly cobras and the coral snake are said to be plenty in the area. At Padampur on the Nath hill is a statue of a Siddha with a five hooded cobra on his head. In the village of Padampur are remnants of old sculpture. Some pieces near the village Post Office show carvings of Mahadeo and Ras-krida and the image of Lord Ganesh with a Naga-bana round his belly.

All these indicate that apart from natural fauna, the local people knew the snakes in olden times and sculptured them on statues. Cases of snake-bite are common in the district. Many of these may be due to the bite of even non-poisonous snakes or snakes giving a sub-lethal dose of venom. These can be cured by psychological treatment. In case of a bite by a poisonous snake which has injected a lethal dose of venom only a specific antivenin can save the victim. However, ignorance of the types of snakes whether poisonous or non-poisonous, causes panic and may bring about the death of a victim. It was noticed that the green chameleon locally known as Hatti-salla was supposed to be very poisonous; whereas in reality no death occurs due to the bite of this serpent. Exposed to this large natural fauna from times immemorial, people have coined various local names of various kinds of snakes. Some such names are—Chokha (cobra), Dandekar (Krait), Chithi (Python), Dhulnagin (Echis), Satran-jya (Banded Krait), Tan Sarp (Pit viper), Chawrya mahadol (Russels viper), Dhondya (Natrix piscator), Dongar yellya (Dryophis), Dhaman (Rat Snake), Shendrya (Coral snake), Gopya (Eryx), and Raktya (Echis).

The district thus has a good snake fauna. The following is a description of the main types of snakes that are found in the district.

Non-Poisonous Snakes.— Typhlops braminus : This blind snake looks like an oversized earthworm. The difference lies in the fact that the earthworm has round rings all over the body while this snake has imbricate scales. The head is not distinct from the body and the colour is gray. It is frequently found inside houses and bath-rooms and often mixed with soil. It tries to burrow and feeds on decaying matter and worms. Locally people call it Andha Sarp or Kadu.

Uropeltis Melanogaster: This snake with a blunt tail, a tapering mouth and thicker than human thumb, grows to ten inches and is found in hilly regions only. It is deep brown with yellow spots at the side and a rough tail which ends in a rhomboid area. The tail is used for digging the soil from which the snake picks up worms and other matter to be used as food.

Lycodon Aulicus: This Kawdya Sarp is found almost everywhere in the district. It is grey with patches of white and thin black lines on the body and grows to about two feet. It has nocturnal habits and one could see it in the night time in gardens feeding on frogs, lizards, geckos and skinks. It lays eggs in summer and they are often mistaken for lizards.

Oligodon Venustus: This is the common wolf snake locally known as Gargar. It is grey with paired blackish spots having a whitish border. It is mistaken for a krait snake, but in the case of the latter anal scales are double and the dorsal scales hexagonal. It is a harmless egg laying snake growing to about two feet and feeding on small rodents, lizards, birds and insects. It may be found in house-gardens during night time.

Boiga Triagonata: This is a brown snake with dark inverted V-shaped yellow-black bordered marks along the vertebral ridge and yellowish brown stripe from the eyes to the end of the jaw. It grows to three feet and is eight inches in circumference. Many a time this snake tries to raise its head over a coil. From the side the stripes near the eye and neck give it the appearance of a snake imitating a cobra. It has no hood or any marking on the upper side like a cobra. The snake though vicious is not poisonous. It is called Manjer sarp.

Macropisthodon Plumbicolor: This gavtya snake is grass green on the upper side with deep black chevron shaped marks on the nape and cross stripes across the body. There is another such mark on the head. It grows to two and a half feet, and is common in the hilly regions where it is mistaken for the green pit viper. It is a very gentle snake, but when cornered it puffs its neck and body and tries to strike in desperation. It is non-poisonous and feeding mainly on frogs and small birds.

Natrix Piscator: This is the common Diwad or Dhondya found all over the district. Olive brown in colour, this snake has checker-board black marks all over the body, especially more in the hind region. It grows to four feet and is very agile, preferring areas of mud and water. It feeds on frogs and fishes and is often found in paddy fields, submerged for a number of minutes, before it rises to breathe fresh air. It lays more than 100 eggs at a time during April and these hatch in June-July. It hibernates during colder months of the year.

Natrix Stolata: Naneti or Sitakilat is the local name of this snake in this district. It grows to three feet in length and about six inches in circumference. The colour is olive green with reticulated irregular cross bars dorsally and two buff coloured longitudinal stripes running along the body. The head of this snake has black bordered shields and the mouth a cream coloured region extending up to the eyes. It is a very docile snake seen more frequently during rains and feeding on frogs and insects.

Dryophis Nasutus: The green whip snake, or Saraptoli or Dongar yellya is very common in and near vegetation. It is parrot green with joint black and white oblique lines on the dorsal side and a yellow as well as blue line running at the sides. The snake is seen on tall trees or on grass. It hangs with its head suspended from twigs. Its food consists mainly of birds, lizards, and insects. It lays eggs in April. The bite of this snake is not lethal, though it may cause some pain.

Coluber Ventromaculatus: Locally known as Nagin, this rare snake is grey with black cross-bars or spots restricted to scale borders. Ventrally yellow with a black strips or black bar below the eye, it is two and a half feet in length and very vicious. When disturbed it erects the head, flattens the area behind the neck and strikes. It feeds on lizards, frogs and birds.

Ptyas Mucosas: This very common rat-snake, locally called Dhaman is camel yellow with black-edged scales, especially in the hind region. The length goes up to 10 feet and it is capable of jumping up a tree and tying a knot by its tail as well as giving a foul smell when touched. It also makes a guttural sound like the shrill noise of a kite. Normally, keeping out of human reach, it is vicious when disturbed. It lays a number of eggs in muddy areas.

Python Molorus: This is Chitti or Ajgar snake of the local people, which grows to 18 feet and weighs about 20 kilos. It is chocolate brown in colour with grey variegated patterns on the upper surface and a grey lancet mark on a pink head. It is very lethargic and found in areas of water accumulation and rocks. It hisses loudly and hurls its body over the victim to strangulate it to death. Even a goat or a pig could thus be killed. It is the biggest snake of the district and bites viciously by its lancet pointed teeth. Though non-poisonous, it causes deep wounds not only by its teeth but by its pointed horn-like projections situated near the anal region. It lays eggs which are 3 times the size of fowl eggs.

Eryx Conicus: This Durkya Ghonas or Mandhol snake is very common. The variegated grey white patterns on its chocolate body often confuse it with a python, but it has a very blunt tail, which is often mistaken to be the other mouth end. It feeds on frogs, lizards and small mammals. There is another variety, Eryx Johnii which is plain black in colour and is found in loose black soil. The former is seen in sandy soil and is more aggressive. Both are harmless and lay eggs during April.

Poisonous Snakes.— Callophis Melanurus: This snake locally known as Shendrya or Raat is seen in the hilly regions. It is a thin snake not growing to more than two feet, light purplish brown in colour with black stripes, edged white and white continuous lines on the body. The head and neck bear black and yellow spots. The ventral surface is red. It is poisonous and the venom is neurotoxic. It is not very commonly found.

Naja Naja: The common cobra is called Nag or Chokha in the district. This very common poisonous snake has a distinct hood with bionoculate or no marks on the upper side and three faint black lines and two black spots on the lower side of the head. The maximum length seen is six feet. The king cobra supposed to be found in the deep forests is olive green with black cross stripes all over the body and grows to considerable length while feeding on other snakes only. The common cobra is either black when it is called Domi or brown when it is known as Gehuwa. Just before rains this snake gets a yellowish colour which when exposed to sunlight turns brown again. This is due to loss of pigment during hibernation. Cobra snake is worshipped on the Nagpanchami day. There are images of coiled cobra under Pipal tree meant for worship indicating the veneration for this snake. Many a time, this snake may come near houses to feed on rats and frogs in the vicinity. People do not kill this snake and it is believed that it guards wealth. It lays 60 to 70 eggs in April and these hatch by the end of June. The small young cobras are as poisonous from the first day of their life as the older ones. The poison of this snake is neurotoxic and the only cure is a specific antivenin.

Bungarus Caeruleus: Locally known as Dandekar, this steel blue black snake with white cross bars is found in crevices even in houses. The dorsal scales are hexagonal and the anal scales are double. It is a very timid snake, but very poisonous. Only six milligrams of its venom are fatal to an average sized human being. It feeds on other snakes and lays eggs during the month of April.

Bungarus Fasciatus: This banded krait snake is locally known as Satranjya. It is four feet long with an abruptly blunt tail and has yellow and black thick-stripes all over the body. It has a black mark on the neck and medium black spots on the head. The snake is known to feed on other snakes and consequently local people welcome this snake in their farms. The venom is neurotoxic and only a specific antivenin can save the victim.

Vipera Russelli: This russels viper locally known as Ghunus or Chawrya Mahadol is common in all wooded areas. It is brown with three rows of elliptical markings on the body and a triangular head with tiny scales. It is known to hiss very loudly and continuously. It feeds on small mammals and bites very viciously, when disturbed, with its big completely canalised fangs. The venom is vasotoxic and gives swelling and intensive pain. The snake lays about 90 young ones within three days during the month of June.

Echis Carinatus: Locally known as Dhul-nagin this small snake, 18 inches long moves side ways and makes noise by rubbing the scales on the body. It is deep brown with variegated pink and white designs and a grey arrow head mark between the eyes. It feeds on small animals and insects and strikes by jumping about a few feet from the ground. The venom is not only vasotoxic but also neurotoxic. Oozing from the wound, pain, blackness of the site and blooding from gums is seen in case of this snake bite. Specific antivenin is the only cure for its bite.

Trimeresurus Gramineus: This pit viper is tree green in colour, having a triangular head and a pit near the nose. It is locally known as Tan Sarp or Haranag. It is found in forests abounding with bamboo plantations. It grows to three feet in length, a foot in circumference and feeds on birds, lizards and small mammals. Its poison is vasotoxic and the victim of its bite can only be cured by a specific antivenin.

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