[The section on Snakes is contributed by Dr. P.J. Deoras, D.Sc., Ph.D. (DUNELM), M.Sc., LL.B., F.E.S.I. Sahitya-Visharada, Bombay]

This district is covered by a very high plateau in the north-west region which extends far south. In the east and other directions are fertile plains which  are inundated by rivers coming down from the Plateau. One, therefore, finds rocky mountainous regions on the west, some part of north and south and quite fertile black soil in the east. This geographical situation in the district has made it fairly rich in varied fauna and flora. There are snakes in numbers on the west while the other regions have few of them. The population in the west being sparse, the incidence of snake-bite deaths are few as compared to the one in the east.

The following snakes have been recorded from the district :-­

Non-poisonous
Typhlops Braminus.	Dryophis Nasutus.
Lycodon Aulicus.	Elaphe Helena.
Uropeltis Nacrolepiss	Coronella Brachyura.
Oligodon Arnensis.	Natrix Stolata.
Sibynophis Subpunctatus.	Natrix Piscatot.
Boiga Trigonata.	Ptyas Mucosus.
Coluber Helena.	Python Molurus.
Macropisthodon Plumbicolor.	Eryx Conicus.

Poisonous
Naja Naja.	Russell's Viper.
Bungarus Coarulus.	Echis Carinatus.
Callophis Melanurus.	Trimeresurus Gramineus.

Non-Poisonous: Typhlops braminus: It is brown dorsally with a lighter colour ventrally. The head and tail regions are blunt. The snake looks like an oversized earthworm, without the cross-markings. The scales on the body are semi-circular and imbricate i.e., covering one another. It is nearly blind with very tiny eyes. At the tail end is a small spine for digging. This blind primitive snake is found on decaying vegetable matter, burrowing there to feed on tiny grubs and decaying matter. There are hardly any teeth in the mouth and it may in defence open the same and try to scratch a small wound. It sometimes comes into the house with the decaying soil and is seen in the bathrooms. It is a absolutely harmless snake.

Uropeltis nacrolepiss: In the hilly regions of the district is found this obtuse tailed dark brown snake with yellow and red dots on the hind regions. The tail is blunt and ends in a rhomboid surface with a blunt sharp edge. In fact this characteristic about the tail marks out the snake from others. It grows to about sixteen inches. It has distinct upper scales as well as ventrals. The eyes are also distinct on the head and it feeds on worms and decaying matter. The tail could inflict an injury, but is normally used for digging purpose. It is not seen inside houses and is a harmless snake.

Oligodon arnensis: This snake often found near human habitation, grows to about two feet and is characterised by chevron-shaped black mark on the head and well defined black-cross bars or transversely arranged spots on the brown body extending up to the tail. It is often mistaken to be a krait from which it differs by the absence of hexagonal central row of dorsal scales. This is called a Kukri-snake, and it feeds on garden worms and refuse. It may come inside houses but is a harmless snake.

Lycodon aulicus: This wolf snake is met along with the kukri snake inside the houses. They are excellent climbers and range up to two and half feet in length. It is light brown or grey dorsally with 12-19 white cross bars that expand laterally. The bars may have brown spots also, or may be only undefined spots. The head is brown and unlike the kukri snake it does not have any chevron-shaped marks. It lays eggs and the female lies curled up over the eggs for some days. It feeds on lizards, insects, skinks, mice and frogs. This snake too is mistaken to be a krait from which it differs inasmuch as there are no hexagonal dorsal scales in Lycodon.

Sibynophis subpunctatus: This small snake measuring about 16 inches, is light brown above with vertebral series of black spots. Lips are yellow, nape dark brown and a yellow transverse bar between the eye. It is a well defined non-poisonous snake, with teeth in both the jaws and is normally found in the hilly regions.

Boiga triagonata: This snake is arboreal and nocturnal in habit. It remains coiled up on trees and is of a vicious disposition. Grey dorsally it has darker series of black edged chevron-shaped marks, connected on the vertebral line and black stripe from eye to angle of jaw. This snake with least provocation inflates the body, coils the anterior region and raises the head in a menacing way. It strikes tenaciously and feeds on lizards, birds and small mammals. It grows to about two feet in length and is very commonly found in the plains. .

Coluber helena: This racer snake growing to a feet in length is grey dorsally and has white black-edged cross-bars that join posteriorly to form spots. These spots are indistinct in the hinder region being replaced by narrow cross bars only. Two chevron shaped marks are present behind the vertex and the neck region.

Macropisthodon plumbicolor : This green-keel back snake growing to 2 feet is characterised by its grass green colour with dark chevron-shaped marks on the neck. It has a black stripe from eye to mouth and transverse black spots on the back and tail. It is a common snake in the hilly regions where it sometimes enters houses. It is a very gentle snake but when alarmed inflates the body and may raise the neck like a cobra. It feeds primarily on frogs and toads.

Dryophis nasutus : This parrot green whip snake, locally known as ‘Harantol' is very common in the district. It is a very thin snake growing to 5 feet in length and having a pointed elliptical head with a specially pointed snout. On the green body are black and white spots and yellow lines along the outer margins of ventrals. The snake often remains coiled on trees and keeps the head suspended in the form of twig. Many a time people going up a tree encounter this snake and think that it can hypnotise a man; this is not true.

Elaphe helena: This trinket snake has a vicious temperament and feeds primarily on small mammals, lizards and frogs. It is dark brown above with black cross-bars having white ocelli. It has a vertical streak below the eye and an oblique one behind, completes the colour pattern. It is also a snake of the hilly region.

Coronella brachyura: This snake is olive brown above, with indistinct light variegations on the anterior half of the body. It grows to 2 feet and is not a very common snake.

Natrix stolata: This striped keel-back snake is extremely common during rains, all over the district. It is locally known as “Naneti” or “Sitakilat”. It grows to 3 feet, is rather thin and is very docile and as such could be handled easily. It is olive green with black spots or reti­culated cross-bars insected by two dorso-lateral buff coloured stripes. It feeds on small frogs.

Natrix piscator: This checkered keel-back is locally known as “Pan-Diwad” and is found all over the district especially near water accumula­tions. It is a thick snake growing to 4 feet in length and has olive colour with black checker-board marks all over the body, especially in the hind region. The snake is very timid, which with least disturbance enters into water and mud. It is not poisonous but when provoked bites tenaciously.

Ptyas mucosus: This very long snake growing to a length of 8 to 10 feet is chrome yellow with black borders on its scales; particularly in the hind region. The head bears black borders to shield. It is a good climber and can tie a knot by its tail to tree or any such object. It is believed that this snake by tying such a knot to legs of cattle, sucks the milk from the udders. There is no truth in this belief. It emits foul smell and also a faint sound when handled roughly. Locally it is called” Dhaman” and is present all over the district.

Python molurus: At the foot  hills this thick snake weighing some times 2,000 pounds and growing to 20 feet in length is found hunting mammals, which it kills by strangulation and constriction. This is locally known as “Ajgar” and is dark brown with faint purple patches on the body and a lancet shaped mark on the head. Near the vent are two spurs which are used to inflict injuries. Many wild tribes eat this snake.

Eryx conicus: Locally known as “Dutondya” or “Durkya ghonas”, this thick, blunt tailed snake is many times mistaken to be the young one of a python. It remains sluggish and coiled up, and often partly buried in soil. The colour is chocolate brown with variegated deep grey patches all over the body. The tail being blunt people suspect that it has two heads, which is not true. This is a snake of the plains.

Poisonous. Naja naja:. The common cobra locally known as “Nag” is the common poisonous snake of the plains. In the cotton growing regions of the district the colour many a times is dark; but in other regions it is brown with or without spots on the body. This snake always has a hood on which is present a biocellate mark dorsally and three faint dark lines and two black spots ventrally. When alarmed it raises the hood and strikes. There are some specimen without the biocellate mark; but nevertheless cobra will always have a hood. On Nagpanchami day it is worshipped. Twelve milligrams of the poison are able to kill a full grown human being. The only remedy is to take a specific antivenin intravenously. This snake accounts for the maximum number of deaths caused by a poisonous snake in the district. It grows to 6 feet in length.

Bungarus caarulus: It is locally called “Maniyar”. This steel blue snake with single or double cross bars on the entire body is found in crevices even near houses. The dorsal scales are hexagonal which is a distinguishing mark on the species. It is timid, but when greatly disturbed it will bite and run away. The lethal dose of the poison is only 6 milligrams and only a proper antivenin can save the victim. It has thus the most toxic poison. It grows to 4 feet.

Callophis melanurus: This snake of the hilly region, locally known as “Raat” is pink below and bears a dark striped head with tiny black dots all over the body. It is a small snake growing to 2 feet and is poisonous.

Russell's viper: Locally known as “Ghonas”, it is another common poisonous snake of the locality. It is brown with three rows of elliptical deep brown scales on the body. This thick snake with a triangular head has small scales and hisses loudly and continuously. It coils the anterior region of the body before attack and its fangs are nearly half an inch long. The poison is vasotoxic and only 15 milligrams prove fatal. The only sure cure is the antivenin.

Echis carinatus: Locally known as “Phoorsa” or “Dhul-nagin”, this small snake is seen in the plains. It moves by side winding and making a noise by rubbing its serrated scales during his movement. It is never more than 16 inches in length and apart from the diamond shaped rectangles on a brown body it has an arrow mark on the triangular head. In spite of the size, the lethal dose of the venom is 8 milligrams. Antivenin is the only sure remedy against its bite.

Trimeresurus gramineus : This bamboo pit viper is met with in the bamboo forests of the district. The snake is green with a triangular head which has a pit behind the nasal opening. It is poisonous.