COIMBATORE: A Russell's viper, rescued from a house near Kovilmedu in the district gave birth to 35 snakelets in a single litter on Friday. The four-foot-long pregnant Russell's viper was found at a resident belonging to Manohar in Thilagar Street near Kovilmedu in the city on Thursday late night. The house inmates immediately alerted the local snake rescuer S Murali, who rescued it in the midnight.
"I got a call on Thursday night asking to rescue Russell's viper, which was found in Monohar's bathroom. It was only after we took a closer look, we realised that it was pregnant. We decided that we should keep it with us in a gunny bag as it would not be wise to release her in the forest," said S Murali, a snake rescuer.
On Friday early morning, the viper gave birth to 35 snakelets.
He added, "After it gave birth to 35 young ones, we informed the district Forest Department officials seeking permission to release them in Anaikatti reserve forest. After getting the permission, Russell's viper and 35 snakelets were released in the forest on Friday evening."
"The young ones are at least 20 times more poisonous than the adult Russell's vipers. The adults do not harm anyone unless provoked. Usually, it gives birth to more than 30 hatchlings in a single litter," Murali informed.