Unknown Snake Facts I

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Q) How did snakes evolve?

A) The evolution of snakes has been difficult to study because of the rarity of fossil evidence and the highly damaged condition of these fossils which are very fragile. Scientists generally believe that snakes have evolved from Lizards. However, there is a contradictory statement made by few scientists that snakes and Lizards have evolved independently from common ancestors.

Q) Where did the first snake appear and where?

A) A land dwelling snake named Lapparentophis defrenni evolved most probably about 130 million ago, during the early CRETACEOUS period.

Q) What is the latest fossil evidence for snakes with legs?

A) According to 2006 report in nature, a 90 million-year- old fossil snake has been discovered in the Patagonia region of Argentina. This is the most primitive snake fossil known so far. This snake had two legs. It has been named NAJASH RIONEGRINA. Najash is Hebrew for SNAKE; Rionegro is the province of Argentina where the discovery was made.

Q) How many families, genera and species of snakes are there worldwide?

A) Taxonomy of snakes has been an uncertain area as there are frequent revisions in the classification of families, genera and species. However, as per Chris Mattison THE NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SNAKES 2007, the below classification has been adopted.

NOTE: THERE MAY BE DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE FIGURES TABULAR STATEMENT AND IN THE NARRATIVE PORTION.

Families: 20

Genera: 465

Species: 2968

Family	Kind of Snake	Distribution	Genus	Species
Anomalepididae	Primitive Blind Snakes	Central America and northern and eastern south America.	4	16
Leptotyphlopiade	Thread Snakes	Southern parts of North America, Central and South America, Africa, Arabian peninsula and parts of the Middle east	2	95
Typhlopiade	Blind Snakes	Tropical and Subtropical world, Australia.	5	235
Anomochilidae	Dwarf Pipe Snakes	Southeast Asia	1	2
Anilidae	South American Pipe Snakes	South America	1	1
Cylindrophiidae	Pipe Snake	Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia	1	10
Uropeltidae	Shield tails	South India and Sri Lanka	8	47
Loxcemidae	Mexican burrowing Snakes	Mexico and adjacent parts of Central America.	1	1
Xenopeltidae	Sunbeam Snake	Nicobar Islands, Southeast Asia and Southern China	1	1
Boidae	Boas	North, Central and south America, Madagascar, Asia and South Eastern Europe	11	44
Pythonidae	Pythons	Southeast Asia	7	37
Bolyeriidae	Round Island Boas	Round Island in Indian oceans	2	2
Tropidophiidae	Wood snakes or western Indian Boas	Central, South America and West Indies	4	26
Acrochordidae	Wart Snakes	India to North Australia	1	3
Viperidae	Vipers	Most parts of the world	36	259
Atrataspididae	Burrowing Asps	Africa and Middle East	11	66
Colubridae	Non- Venomous and mildly Venomous Snakes	Most parts of the world	309	1807
Elapidae	Coral Snakes, Cobras, Kraits, Mambas	Most parts of the world	42	246
Hydopidae	Sea Snakes	Seas except Atlantic Sea	17	65
Xenophidiidae		Old world	1	2

Q) How many families, genera and Species of snakes are found in India

A) Families-11

Genera- 82

Species- 276

Family	Kind of Snake	Genus	Species
Typhlopiade	Worn Snakes, Non Venomous	3	18
Leptotyphlopiade	Worn Snakes, Non Venomous	1	1
Uropeltidae	Shield Tails, Non Venomous	7	34
Xenophidiidae	Burrower, Non Venomous	1	1
Pythonidae	Large constrictors, Non Venomous	1	2
Boidae	Small constrictors, Non Venomous	2	3
Acrochordidae	Costal/ Estuarine, Non Venomous	1	1
Colubridae	The largest group worldwide and in India. Mostly non venomous. A few rear-fanged and venomous	46	156
Elapidae	Similar to Colubridae in many aspects, but front fanged and venomous	5	17
Hydopidae	Sea snakes, front fanged and venomous	7	20
Viperidae	Vipers, front fanged and venomous	8	23

VERNACULAR NAMES

English	Hindi	Tamil	Bengali	Oriya
Worm Snake	Andha Samp	Seer Pambu	Puiyen	Telia Sapa
Shieldtail Snake		Mann Pambu
Python	Ajgar	Malai Pambu or Dasari Pambu	Moyal	Ajagara or Budha Sapa or Boda Sapa
Common Sand Boa	Mati Ki samp	Mann Pambu or Podeiyan	Bali Borha	Boda Samp
Red Sand Boa	Do Mu Samp	Swop Mun Pambu		Domundia
Wolf Snake	Sankbara	Nai Pambu or Veedu Pambu		Bada or Jatia Samp
Kukri Snake	Kukri Samp	Yennai Panian	Udoy Kal
Striped Keelback	Hurwa	Nikitan Kutti or Pul-eri Pambu	Hele	Kauchia or Bramhuni or Matibiradi or Matibirada
Green Keelback	Hara Nag	Pachai Nagam	Metuli
Checkered Keelback Watersnake	Pani ka Samp	Thanni Pambu	Jol Dhnorha	Dhanda or Panidhanda
Olive KeelbackWatersnake	Hara Pani ka Samp	Pachai Thanni Pambu
Trinket		Micro Pambu
Rat Snake	Dhaman	Sarai Pambu	Dhanaras	Dhamana
Banded Racer		Wohdu-Kali Pambu
Royal Snake	Rajat Bansi
Bronzeback Treesnake	Lal-Dhaman or Jard ka Dhaman	Komberi Mukkan or Marram-eri Pambu	Baetachrha
Flying Snake		parrakum Pambu	Kal Nagini
Green Vine Snake	Hara Samp	Pachai Pambu	Laudoga	Laudanka or Laudankia
Cat Snake		Ponnai Pambu or Wollai Pambu	Banka Raj	Dalua Naga
Dog-faced Watersnake		Uppu-Ar Pambu
Common Krait	Maneer or Karait	Kattu Viriyan or Karuvelan Pambu	Kalaj or Domna Chitti	Chitti
Banded Krait	Gaoman	Pattai Kattu Vitiyan	Shankhini	Rana
Spectaled Cobra	Nag Samp	Nalla Pambu or Naga Pambu	Gokhro	Gokhara or Gokhura
Monocled Cobra	Nag Samp	Nalla Pambu or Naga Pambu	Keoute	Tampa
King Cobra	Naga Raja	Raja Nagam or Karru Nagam	Sankhachoor	Ahiraja or Sankhachuda
Sea Snake	Dariya Samp or Samudhra Samp	Kadal Pambu
Russells Viper	Gonus	Kannadi Viriyan	Chandra Borha	Chandra Bora or Chandramuthia Boda
Saw-scaled Viper	Phoorsa	Surutai Pambu		Dhuli Naga
Pit Viper	Hara Gonus	Kuzhi Viriyan or Chetta-thalai Pambu	Gechho Borha	Katakatia Naga (Bamboo Pit Viper)

Q) What are the different symptons in a snake bite?

A) The following are the symptons of a snake bite.

Symptom	Cobra	Krait	Viper
Pain	Some pain at bite-site	Mild bite at bite-site or nil	Burning pain at bite-site. Generalised pain, pain in lowerback
Haemorrhage (Loss of Blood)	Mild	Mild	Heavy- Externally and internally. Blood in sputum, vomit,urine, faeces. Due to hamorrhage at bite-site, this area may become discoloured and take on various hues.
Drowsiness	Yes	Yes	Not likely
Inflammation	Moderate	Very little or Nil	Severe or very severe
Oedema (Accumulation of fluids in cells)	Rare and light	Rare and light	Rapid swelling of bitten parts
Breathing	Difficult	Difficult	No noticeable difference
Abdominal pain	Not noticeable	Severe	Not noticeable
Eyes	Drooping eyelids (Ptosis, double vision)	Drooping eyelids (Ptosis, double vision)	Ptosis in Russell's Viper bite. No ptosis in Saw-scaled viper bite.
Swallowing	Difficult	Difficult	No particular problem
Breathing problem	Yes	Yes	Occasional
Necrosis (Death of cells in organs and tissues)	Severe	Not severe	Very severe
Paralysis	Yes	Yes	No
Frothing at the mouth	Yes	Occasional	No
Nausea	Yes	Yes	Yes
Renal complications	No	No	Yes in Russell's Viper bites. No in Saw-scaled viper bites.

Q) What is CITES and how do they protect snakes?

A) CITES is the acronym for the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. India is one of the participating countries. The convention came into existence in 1975 and is governed by UN. This regulates international trade in fauna and flora (including products thereof) which are listed as needing different degrees of protection and placed accordingly in different appendices. Trade in these is not necessarily prohibited, but is governed by a strict procedure of licensing depending on the degree of protection needed.

Appendix I: Lists the most endangered species i.e. those threatened with extinction. International trade in these species is prohibited except for certain non-commercial purposes such as scientific research.

Appendix II: Lists species that, though not now threatened with extinction, may become so unless trade in them is closely controlled.

Appendix III: Lists species at the request of a country that considers co-operation of other countries necessary for their protection. Indian snakes in the appendices is are listed in the below table

Appendix I	Appendix II	Appendix III
Indianrock python (Python molurus molurus)	Common sand boa (Gongylophis conicus)	Olive keelback (Atretium schistosum)
	Red sand boa (Eryx johnii)	Dog-faced water snake (Cerberus rynchops)
	Whitaker's boa (Eryx whitakeri)	Checkered keekback (Xenochrophis piscatar)
	Indian egg-eater (Elachistodon westermanni)	Russell's Viper (Daboia russelli)
	Indiarat snake (Pytas musosus)
	Monocled cobra (Naja kaouthis)
	Spectacled cobra (Naja naja)
	Central Asian cobra (Naja oxiana

Q) What are the different groups of toxins present in snake venom?

A) The venom of a snake is not just one kind of toxin. It is cocktail of toxins with different properties and different effects on the body of the victim. These toxins are enzymes and 25 such enzymes have been isolated. The toxins are broadly as follows:

Toxins	Effect
Cytotoxins	Damages tissues
Haemotoxins	Damages blood cells
Neurotoxins	Damages Nervous system
Myotoxins	Damages muscles

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