As concrete jungles change giant swathes of forested land, many animals have taken to an city way of life. Rat snakes are not any totally different. As their most well-liked prey enter residential areas, these reptiles are shut behind, making their houses in gardens, building websites and crevices of enormous buildings. However, adaptability usually turns into a double-edged sword.
Due to the distinctive challenges of dwelling in an city atmosphere, many rat snakes turn into victims of human-animal battle. People’s incapability to tell apart venomous species from non-venomous ones additional complicates the scenario. Taxonomically talking, the time period ‘rat snake’ itself doesn’t discuss with a single household or genus. Rather, it’s generally used to indicate non-venomous reptiles (unfold throughout 15 genera) from the household Colubridae.
India is home to Ptyas mucosa, generally often known as the Indian rat snake, Oriental rat snake and (extra regionally) Dhaman. They are Wildlife SOS’ mostly rescued reptiles throughout all 4 cities the place we function. In the month of May this 12 months, our Rapid Response Units saved 30 of those magnificent reptiles from misery!
Evolution, Ecology, and Emergence in Cities
What is a rat snake? Herpetologists have give you various solutions to those questions over time. Earlier, these reptiles had been divided into two classes, the Old World and the New World rat snakes, based mostly on whether or not they belong to the Eastern or Western Hemispheres respectively. However, recent consensus likens the New World rat snakes discovered within the US nearer to the king snakes than the Old World rat snakes.
Rat snakes doubtless originated in tropical Asia in the course of the Late Eocene interval. Over time, they’ve turn into an important a part of the city ecosystem, feasting on birds, bugs, amphibians, eggs, lizards in addition to rats, the delight for which led to the title of the snake. They kill utilizing constriction, a technique that entails tightly wrapping themselves round their prey to actually squeeze the life out of them.
Indian rat snakes, belonging to the Old World class, are important in retaining the inhabitants of rats and different rodents in test. However, the inherent stigma in opposition to snakes usually glosses over their usefulness within the public eye. It can be vital to notice that these reptiles don’t contemplate people their prey. Most snakes are usually shy and keep away from confrontation with people, until their life is at stake!
Indian rat snakes are non-venomous by nature, and but, this reality just isn’t sufficient to avoid wasting them from common persecution. Their patterned pores and skin, size and common look have brought about many misguided people to mistake them for being the Indian cobra. This is ironic as a result of the rat snake is likely one of the most favoured preys of the latter in addition to many different carnivores, testifying to their invaluable position within the circle of life.
The city jungle isn’t any much less perilous than precise forests for rat snakes. Citizens have noticed these reptiles resting inside engines, shifting elements of vehicles, water drums, temples, historic monuments, outlets, instructional establishments and between the wires of electrical cables.
Indian rat snakes may also be discovered throughout the residential areas of the Himalayas, and our Education Officer Ms. Aaliya Mir in Jammu and Kashmir conducts a number of difficult operations to rescue them!
Snakes in Peril
Rat snakes have taken our crew members again to highschool! Over the course of the previous couple of months, involved residents from Delhi’s instructional establishments have reached out to us on our helpline. In one such case, a rat snake trapped inside a gap was noticed by a pupil from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Another rat snake had entered the library at Sarvodaya Senior Secondary School. In each instances, well timed calls helped us save the reptile.
One rat snake had climbed to the highest of a 60-foot-tall tree. These reptiles are skilled climbers and infrequently journey to excessive locations, however want additional help in getting again down. In this occasion, our crew sought assist from the hearth division for its hydraulic ladder. In one other occasion, a rat snake caught between cable wires was rescued from Agra.
Open wells spell doom for wild animals of all sizes and styles. A rat snake ended up inside an uncovered nicely close to the Taj Mahal, from the place it was safely recovered. Our veterinary crew ensured that the animal was wholesome earlier than releasing it into its pure habitat.
However, not all snakes are so fortunate. An injured rat snake was saved from Noida, the place it had suffered a number of wounds from feral canine bites. Our vets wasted no time in conducting X-rays of the poor reptile. The animal is at the moment in our care, however will probably be launched into the wild as soon as deemed match.
We have just lately obtained a number of calls from anxious residents of Tughlaq Road, Burari and lots of locations inside Delhi in the course of the monsoon season. We want to make sure that the misplaced concern of snakes doesn’t damage these reptiles in query. Most snakes are extra intimidated by us than we’re of them! They have excellent purpose to be, because the merciless and abusive observe of snake-charming haunts these reptiles. Snakes captured for this objective are inflicted with long-lasting bodily accidents.
Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 protects Indian rat snakes, implying that any harm or harassment to those animals by human palms attracts strict penalties. However, even within the current day, folks discover loopholes to use these unvoiced animals. Very just lately, a seizure in Delhi and Agra led to the restoration of 69 snakes, together with a rat snake that had mongoose hair stitched throughout its physique.
You have Spotted a Rat Snake. Now what?
Our rescue and rehabilitation efforts observe a two-pronged method for all animals, together with people who fall beneath non-charismatic species. While our expert veterinarians and handlers safely extricate these animals from battle conditions, battle mitigation workshops and consciousness classes dispel myths and ignorance that encompass wildlife.
Our Rapid Response Units rely closely on well timed data to succeed in the animal in misery. In case you see a snake in your neighborhood and as a involved citizen, you want to assist it out, what do you have to do? Save and share the next pointers amongst your friends!
Once stigmatised and beneath menace from misguided violence, the rat snake is seeing higher days owing to Wildlife SOS’ tireless myth-busting efforts. Snakes and human beings stay in an uneasy stability. Non-venomous snakes like trinkets, sand boas and rat snakes are sometimes tough to tell apart from the venomous ones and ignorance has led to their mistreatment. Therefore, the power to make the excellence is essential.
Our Reptiles Group on Facebook is devoted to providing insights that will help you distinguish snakes by figuring out them. However, for those who lock eyes with a snake and get no time to delve into the nitty-gritty of identification, it might be greatest to first step away from the snake, and inform professionals as quickly as attainable.
Regardless of whether or not you’ll be able to or can’t establish the snake, don’t try and deal with the scenario alone. Reach out to your nearest animal welfare organisation. If you’re based mostly within the following cities, remember to name our 24X7 operative helplines:
Delhi NCR: +91-9871963535
Agra, Uttar Pradesh: +91-9917109666
Vadodara, Gujarat: +91-9825011117
Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir: +91-7006692300/ +91-9419778280
