Snakes enter residences looking for cooler places: Herpetologists

CHENNAI: With temperatures rising, herpetologists in the city caution the public about the incidence of snakes straying into residential areas. According to Chennai wildlife rescue headquarters, the number of calls had surged in the recent days with the temperature on the rise.

Most of the calls are from south Chennai and southern parts of Chennai including Velachery, Madipakkam, Guindy, Nandambakkam and Pallavaram, where urbanisation is at peak.

“During summer, snakes find it difficult to keep cool, as their ideal temperature is between 19-33°C. The city’s climate is normally ideal for snakes. But in summer, these reptiles look for cooler places like bathrooms, lakes and in certain cases AC rooms,” said seasoned herpetologist V Kalaiarasan, research director, Chennai Snake Park trust. “Usually around 3 am, snakes move out. In certain cases, they die as it’s difficult for them to survive in temperatures beyond 33°C and so, so they venture out for shelter. During summer, snake encounters are high and the public should be cautious.”

According to informed wildlife sources, Chennai is a home to four venomous snakes – cobra, krait, Russell’s viper, and saw scaled viper. “There is a minor increase in the number of calls related to straying of snakes and monkeys during summer, but it’s manageable. The workload for snake-catchers is usually high during the monsoon and particularly when there are floods,” an informed official said.

Cobra and Rattlesnakes are the top species that are rescued by the foresters. These snakes are kept in a quarantine period for a few weeks and later released into the wild.

If you find snakes in residential places, call city wildlife headquarters (044) 2220