Chennai: The Tamilnadu Forest Department has asked people not to kill or beat snakes if they are spotted during the rain.
A Forest Department official said, snakes, being cold blooded animals will leave their hideouts in search of shelters that are warm and with the ongoing rain, there are high chances of them being spotted in the residential areas due to the rapid urbanisation.
“There are about 300 snakes and only the big five are venomous – Cobra, Krait, Russell’s Viper and Saw Scaled Viper. These are called as the big four and are mostly found in residential areas. Apart from this, there is King Cobra, which is found only in deep forests and its chances of conflict with humans is very rare,” said the official.
Some of the common places where the reptiles can be found are building cracks, cars, bikes and shoes. Before using all this, people should be careful and check them twice. Snakes can also hide in shrubs and crotons and the dense plants should be cropped. If there are open pipes in the house, they should also be closed immediately.
| WHAT IF IT BITES |
| Veterinarian Pa Kalaignan said people should avoid tying the area where the snake has bitten. Instead they should immobilise the region which will allow minimal blood flow.
“Tying of the area will restrict the blood flow, killing the blood cells beyond that point. Moreover, if only a small amount of venom is passed into the human body, it might get diluted in the blood. Sucking of blood from the bitten area should not be done by another person as the venom can spread into the body which can lead to death,” he said. The most important thing to do after a snake bite is to keep the person calm till he is taken to hospital. This will ensure there is no rush of blood, the veterinarian said. To report spotting of snakes, people can reach the Forest Department at 044 – 2220 0335. |
| WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT |
| Snakes are an integral part of the ecosystem. If their population is brought down, it will lead to increase in rodent population which might lead to another plague. |