Latest news with #RameshChinnasamy
India.com
3 hours ago
- Science
- India.com
10 deadly king cobras spotted at 9,000 feet near Mount Everest, scientists in shock due to..., Experts call it sign of...
10 deadly king cobras spotted at 9,000 feet near Mount Everest, scientists in shock due to..., Experts call it sign of... According to Bishnu Pandey from Nepal's Forestry Institute, king cobra eggs were found near the Gaurishankar Range just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, cobras have been seen in Jiri Municipality, which lies between 1,600 and over 5,000 meters in altitude. These snakes are the same species usually found in Nepal's Terai region, which is at a much lower elevation. Many experts think this strange movement to higher areas could be a sign of climate change. As temperatures rise, snakes might be moving to cooler places for survival. However, not all scientists agree completely. Dr. Ramesh Chinnasamy from India's Wildlife Institute says that while king cobras usually live in rainforests and are shy in nature, we can't say for sure that this change is due to climate change without deeper research. He explained that warmer weather can make snakes more active and possibly push them into new areas, but more studies are needed to understand if this is just a rare case or part of a bigger environmental shift.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
King Cobra sightings at 9k ft in Everest region startles scientists
1 2 Dehradun: Ten King Cobras were recently spotted at elevations between 1,000 and 2,700 metres in the Everest region of Nepal, sparking concern among scientists who said the sightings could be linked to shifting climate patterns. The reptiles, typically found in lowland tropical habitats, appeared in areas including Gopaleshwor, Bhanjyang, Sokhol and Fulchowk in what experts described as an unusual development. Bishnu Pandey of the Institute of Forestry in Nepal said the sightings were a "recent phenomenon". He said, "We found King Cobra eggs in the Gauri Shankar Range just before the Covid-19 pandemic. Similarly, cobras were sighted in Jiri municipality, which lies between 1,600m and over 5,000m." He added that the snakes found in these areas were the same species as those seen in Nepal's Terai region and suggested climate change as the most likely cause of their movement to higher altitudes. Ramesh Chinnasamy, a scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India, said King Cobras typically inhabit rainforests and are naturally shy. He said, "While we cannot directly attribute this shift in distribution to climate change without a detailed scientific study, rising temperatures do tend to extend the active periods of King Cobras and other reptiles, potentially prompting them to expand their habitat range. Systematic research is needed to assess whether the sightings mark a broader ecological change or are isolated events." Wildlife biologist and King Cobra researcher Jignasu Dolia, based in Nainital, confirmed similar high-altitude sightings in Uttarakhand. He said, "King Cobras have been seen in parts of Kumaon, including Mukteshwar, which lies above 2,000 metres. Generally, cobra sightings diminish with increasing altitude, so these sightings are uncommon but not unusual." He added that long-term studies were vital to understanding how the species is responding to changing climate conditions. Meanwhile, a recent study has shown that King Cobras — the world's longest venomous snakes — are not a single species. Genetic data now reveals they comprise four distinct species, challenging the earlier classification under Ophiophagus hannah. Sanjiv Chaturvedi, chief conservator of forests (research), Uttarakhand forest department, acknowledged their adaptability. "Though they are native to rainforests, King Cobras show remarkable adaptability. In Corbett Tiger Reserve, for instance, they are found at elevations ranging from 300 to over 2,000 metres," he said. Supporting the climate shift theory, a recent ICIMOD study warned that temperatures across the eight countries of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, including Nepal and India, are expected to remain 0.5°C to 2°C above long-term averages. Nepal has also recorded an increase in extreme weather events, and its maximum temperature is rising by an average of 0.05°C per year. Experts said such changes could be altering local ecosystems and influencing animal distribution. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
