Whether it’s venomous or not, the doctor will generally advise you to get admitted for general observation. A bite by a venomous snake will induce acute discomfort in a couple of minutes. It’s advisable to take a picture of the snake for information.

If you do get bitten, bites from the Indian Rat Snake can be very painful, but are just punctures and harmless. The struggle of the snarly rat and the commotion it caused is what gave it away.ĭo mind your step in rainy weather and avoid areas with dense undergrowth. I remember seeing one in a sewer near my house in Lajpat Nagar, where it had caught a huge rat. However, the Indian Rat Snake has also adapted well to concrete urban settlements, where it makes use of sewage lines, abandoned buildings, and uses the open area near archaeological ruins as shelter. It made me realise that we have been coexisting with them (unknowingly) longer than we can remember.Īlong with the Checkered Keelback and the Red Sand Boa, the Indian Rat Snake is one of the most common snakes that show up in areas like Vasant Kunj and Vasant Vihar. Snake rescue is about helping humans and saving the snake from being killed. During the rainy season, when snake homes are flooded, the increase in rescue calls would escalate. Some years ago, I used to volunteer with a wildlife rescue organisation in the city. The winner of this non-aggressive battle takes control of the territory, until another male encroaches and the process starts all over again. Dominance is established with an attempt by one male to pin down the other for a few seconds, before letting go. It is actually a combat behaviour that resembles a dance between two males as they battle for dominance. The common misconception was that this was a mating ritual. One distinct behaviour is two individual snakes coiling their bodies around each other. Most small prey is swallowed alive, whereas the bigger prey is held down by the snake’s bodyweight (they don’t use the constriction method like pythons) until they weaken and give up. Their hunting prowess provides for a diverse palate: lizards, birds (and eggs), frogs, and other snakes as well. The snake’s diurnal (active during both night and day) nature, agility, speed, alertness, and the ability to climb trees and rough surfaces, makes them highly versatile predators. They have round pupils, heads larger than their necks, smooth scales, a keeled upper body, with an underside that has prominent dark bands.

They come in a great range of colours: pale yellow, olive, brown, grey and even black. You’ll also see them in rat holes and termite mounds. Popularly known as Dhaman, the Indian Rat Snake is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia, where it adapts quickly to a variety of habits: arid land, open fields, farmland, coastal regions, freshwater or brackish water wetlands. In fact the Indian Rat Snake is food for the Spectacled Cobra, along with a few other snakes like the Indian Rock Python, and some predatory birds. It may also be one of the reasons for humans mistaking them for the venomous cobra. This behaviour or adaptation of inflating their throat and growling may be seen as mimicking a cobra to look more intimidating. If cornered though, they inflate their throat and release a growl, before striking vigorously. They are not very aggressive by nature, but if threatened by humans or animals bigger than them, their first response is to try and escape. Ptyas mucosa ), which can sometimes grow to over 6 feet in length, is one such. Most snakes in India are non-venomous, but like any other animal, they too have ways to defend themselves. It helps rid fields of rodents and does the same in urban settlements like ours. Take the Indian Rat Snake, also called the farmer’s friend. On the contrary, they do us a huge service. Throughout history, be it the legend of Jormungand, the Viking sea snake in Norse Mythology, or the Naga in Hindu mythology, the portrayal of snakes has always misled people into believing that they were terrifying evil creatures out to hurt us.

Snake hiss sound effect