Snakelets of Spectacled Cobras keeping rescuers busy
The eggs of this snake species hatch from June through September. Over 2,970 out of the 5,954 snakes rescued by the Society, from January to June, were Spectacled Cobras. And 1,134 more were rescued from June to July 16.
Around a week ago, a volunteer with the Society, Aditya Srinath, spent over 12 hours to rescue 23 snakelets and an adult Spectacled Cobra in Jagadgirigutta. These reptiles were found slithering in and out of a small crevice in the concrete floor between the house and a compound wall.
Mr. Srinath said that the floor was hollow and that provided an ideal space to lay eggs. 'I reached there at around 7 p.m. and rescued 19 snakelets till 3 a.m. I returned the next day and rescued the remaining five,' he said.
The mating season of Spectacled Cobras is from January to April and they lay eggs from March to July, said Chelmela Srinivasulu, professor at Department of Zoology, Osmania University and Director, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Studies. The incubation period is 45 to 70 days. 'August is the peak hatching period,' he said.
Though the monsoon has set in, rains have not been intense. Avinash Visvanatham, general secretary of the Society said that when human movement is not restricted due to less rains, people increasingly spot snakes.
P. Gowri Shankar, founder trustee of Kalinga Foundation, a non-profit research organisation, said that monsoon offers multiple ways of survival such as abundant frogs, toads, rodents, and insects, ensuring food availability for the young.
'Dense monsoon vegetation offers them shelter and concealment from predators and reduces exposure. The high-humidity monsoon environment prevents hatchling desiccation, vital during their early vulnerable phase. When many hatch at once, predator risk is distributed, reducing per-individual threat,' said Dr. Gowri Shankar, a wildlife biologist who has been studying King Cobras and other snakes for close to two decades.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
18-07-2025
- The Hindu
Three Rosarians' gift to their alma mater
What does it take to organise a grand all-batches alumni reunion of an institution that has 75 years behind it, and never a formal alumni association in all those years? Three busy women professionals — architect Priya Lourduraj, course director Matengi S. Suresh and medical doctor Malini A.V. — can take that question. If this trio's experience is anything to go by, one needs to extend one's waking hours a wee bit. In October 2024, these three old students of Rosary Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Santhome got started on an effort to gather alumni down the decades and they are still finding themselves in a last-minute scramble to tie loose ends. The platinum jubilee meetup of old students across batches and retired teachers would also signal the formation of an alumni association. A previous attempt 15 years ago to have an association of this kind was spectacularly stillborn. With the D-day drawing near — the alumni reunion and platinum jubilee carnival would take place on the school campus on July 26 — they are both excited and nervous. Excited as they survey what they have achieved in the past months and look forward to the culmination of the effort on July 26. Nervous as anyone is expected to be ahead of a grand event they are responsible for. One challenge that stared them in the face was getting a buy-in from the school management to organise the mega reunion. The next major thing was to have an alumni association registered. 'We have enrolled ourselves under the Society of Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the congregation that runs the school. The association is now a formal entity under the Society, so that helped us plan for the D-Day, and this also gives us more credibility,' says Priya, who graduated from the institution in 2003 and is an architect by profession. Like any registered body, Rosary Alumni Association will maintain accounts and have an executive team elected. Towards spelling out the goals and objectives of the alumni association, they have published the charter on the school website. And then what they dreaded — bringing old Rosarians on board — seemed easier than expected thanks to social media. 'We were surprised to find the enthusiasm of students across batches in connecting with the school. When we started calling out for representatives from each batch to help us plan the reunion and find their classmates, we immediately got response from 1962, 1964, 1965 batches,' says Matengi, a student of 1992 batch. The WhatsApp group currently has 65 members across batches who are a big support for us, says Matengi. The batch representatives act like a first level of validation before adding new classmates. The core team has been meeting in person every month. As they have reached the last leg of the preparation, intense discussions happen every day. Matengi is in-charge of registrations, Priya acts as a bridge between the school and the alumni and Malini coordinates with the sponsors. They have sub committees to assist them. They include a PR team, an emcee team and a cultural team. Over the last month, 35-40 representatives, each representing a batch, also met to discuss the progress as well address concerns. Dr. Malini, who is based in Bangalore, says two major social initiatives that the alumni would be driving are sponsoring deserving students studying in the school and helping retired teachers with medical assistance and other financial support. The trio want every Rosarian to be part of the reunion. And if one is unsure about making it to the meetup they could at least register so that they can be part of future events.
Hans India
17-07-2025
- Hans India
Hyderabad Zoo marks World Snake Day with engaging awareness programme
Hyderabad: The Nehru Zoological Park Hyderabad celebrated World Snake Day on Wednesday with an insightful and interactive awareness programme held at the Reptile House Amphitheatre. The event successfully attracted over 700 students from various schools and 600 general visitors, focusing on the crucial role snakes play in ecosystems and aiming to debunk prevalent myths surrounding these reptiles. A highlight of the programme was a live snake demonstration led by Education Officer M Deepak Tarun. He provided comprehensive explanations on the habitat, behaviour, and identification of diverse snake species, including both venomous and non-venomous varieties. Crucially, the session also covered precautionary measures against snake bites and practical snake identification techniques. The Nehru Zoological Park is home to approximately 20 species of snakes, featuring both venomous and non-venomous types such as the King Cobra, Spectacled Cobra, Bamboo Pit Viper, Russell's Viper, Krait, Indian Rock Python, Rat Snake, and Sand Boa. The park also houses other reptiles like the Green Iguana, Chameleon, Flap Shell Turtle, Star Tortoise, Bengal Monitor Lizard, and Water Monitor Lizard. Dr Sunil S Hiremath, Director Zoo Parks Telangana, proudly stated that the Nehru Zoological Park Hyderabad was the first zoo in the country to introduce a glass barrier enclosure for its reptile house, significantly enhancing the visitor experience. He commended the proactive zoo staff, including the ZEO and PRO, for their consistent efforts in conducting awareness shows on eco-days, acknowledging them as the 'face of the zoo on several occasions.' Visitors and school teachers alike expressed their strong appreciation for the diligent efforts of the Zoo Management, particularly the Director, Curator, PRO, and ZEO, in providing updated information on various aspects of wildlife and conservation to both visitors and students. M Barnoba, Deputy Curator, H M Hanifulla, Public Relations Officer, Ravi Prabakar, Senior Animal Keeper, Chenakeshavulu, Assistant Animal Keeper, and other officers were also in attendance.
The Hindu
16-07-2025
- The Hindu
Snakelets of Spectacled Cobras keeping rescuers busy
Snakelets of Spectacled Cobras are keeping the volunteers of Friends of Snakes Society (FoSS) in Telangana busy this monsoon. The eggs of this snake species hatch from June through September. Over 2,970 out of the 5,954 snakes rescued by the Society, from January to June, were Spectacled Cobras. And 1,134 more were rescued from June to July 16. Around a week ago, a volunteer with the Society, Aditya Srinath, spent over 12 hours to rescue 23 snakelets and an adult Spectacled Cobra in Jagadgirigutta. These reptiles were found slithering in and out of a small crevice in the concrete floor between the house and a compound wall. Mr. Srinath said that the floor was hollow and that provided an ideal space to lay eggs. 'I reached there at around 7 p.m. and rescued 19 snakelets till 3 a.m. I returned the next day and rescued the remaining five,' he said. The mating season of Spectacled Cobras is from January to April and they lay eggs from March to July, said Chelmela Srinivasulu, professor at Department of Zoology, Osmania University and Director, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Studies. The incubation period is 45 to 70 days. 'August is the peak hatching period,' he said. Though the monsoon has set in, rains have not been intense. Avinash Visvanatham, general secretary of the Society said that when human movement is not restricted due to less rains, people increasingly spot snakes. P. Gowri Shankar, founder trustee of Kalinga Foundation, a non-profit research organisation, said that monsoon offers multiple ways of survival such as abundant frogs, toads, rodents, and insects, ensuring food availability for the young. 'Dense monsoon vegetation offers them shelter and concealment from predators and reduces exposure. The high-humidity monsoon environment prevents hatchling desiccation, vital during their early vulnerable phase. When many hatch at once, predator risk is distributed, reducing per-individual threat,' said Dr. Gowri Shankar, a wildlife biologist who has been studying King Cobras and other snakes for close to two decades.
