COIMBATORE: A team of researchers from the Wildlife Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT), with the support of the Tamil Nadu forest department, recorded 2,318 snakes of 17 species, including 980 venomous and 1,338 non-venomous snakes, during rescues at various places in the northern parts of Coimbatore district.
The Indian rat snake (Ptyas mucosa) was the most frequently rescued species (856 rescues), followed by the Indian cobra (Naja naja, 678 rescues), the Russell's viper (Daboia russelii, 251 rescues), and the common wolf snake (Lycodon aulicus, with 239 rescues).
The study, titled ‘Hissing for rescue: Mapping the human-snake niche in Coimbatore through a snake rescue analytical approach’, was conducted by N Sadiq Ali, A Abinesh, V Rajagopal, K Rishi, Siraj Deen, M Shair, N Moinudheen and A Samson. It examines the patterns and trends of snake rescues in north Coimbatore for a period of three years, from 2022 to 2024 (over 35 months) to analyse snake ecology and develop human-snake conflict mitigation measures.
The highest incidences of venomous snake rescues were recorded in Appanayakanpalayam, Velandhipalayam, Navavar Piruvu, Nanjundapuram and Subramanipalayam, while non-venomous snakes were most frequently rescued from Vadavalli, Kaverinagar, Thudiyalur, Velandhipalayam and Athipalayam Pirivu.
"We have found that snakes are approaching human habitations following seasonal fluctuations. This led to a large number of rescue calls. Among the identified refugia, debris piles were the most utilised, followed by indoor rooms, open spaces and storage areas or machinery. Snake rescues peaked during the summer months and were most frequent in the afternoons. Spatial mapping identified high human-snake conflict zones, underscoring the need for targeted conservation strategies and improved conflict mitigation measures in these high-risk areas," said Sadiq Ali.
"Factors like habitat loss, degradation and urban encroachment lead to more frequent interactions between humans and snakes. Snakes play a crucial role in the ecosystem, serving as key predators and biological controllers within the food web while also acting as prey for various predators. Poor waste management, which attracts prey such as rodents, has led to a rise in snake encounters in human-dominated areas. The abundance of preys such as rodents, amphibians and poultry near human settlements and agricultural areas can attract snakes," pointed out Siraj Deen.
"The team consisted of 10 rescuers, trained and equipped with snake rescue kits to minimise physical contact with the reptiles. Among venomous snakes, Indian cobras had the most rescues in summer. Non-venomous snakes were also primarily rescued from debris, indoor rooms and residual and storage areas," said A Abinesh.
WNCT member V Rajagopal said, "Summer had the highest number of rescues, though no significant difference was observed between venomous and non-venomous snakes overall. Hot conditions likely push snakes beyond their thermal comfort zone, driving them to seek cooler refuges in human settlements such as trash piles and sheltered spaces, which also offer safety and food.”