working with Russel's viper

The creature is simply amazing…and beautiful…… J

This snake was found in the vicinity of La Martiniere College, Lucknow…. And as per my knowledge this was the 6^th in 12 months……found in area…… J

The snake was caught by the workers working at our garden…… J

The snake was just a baby but haan, still dangerous to work with…. Cannot even tell the approximate length, but yes it was small in size…. Mr. C.A. McFarland, our principal called me up that morning….and told me that the workers had found a PYTHON in the garden…. They also took it to the lucknow zoo, but they refused to keep the creature…so firstly thinking that it was a python, we decided to keep the snake with us until it grows to a sufficient length to survive on its own….. J

AS THE PYTHON IS FROM THE FAMILY OF BOA-CONSTRICTORS i.e. THE NON VENOMOUS TYPE… SO THE CREATURE IS AN EASY PRAY OF BIRDS LIKE EAGLES, HAWKS and OWLS etc.
THE SNAKES FROM THE BOA FAMILY KILL THERE PRAY BY CHOCKING IT TO DEATH…..

So we finally decide to keep the snake with us, at school only…….

The snake was kept in a wooden box….with lots of ‘bhusa’ to keep the thing warm… J


SNAKES ARE COLD BLOODED CREATURES SO THEY REQUIRE LOTS OF HEAT TO MAINTAIN THERE BODY TEMPERATURE….

The snake was with us for about 4 days….. I managed to click some pictures of it, as our photographer (:p) was not available at that time…so we were not able to get clear pictures of the snake, but yes we managed to click some… we sent those pictures to some of the biologists for the confirmation of the species….and thank god we did that……….. J

Till time we bought mouse to feed the snake, used to change the grass every day…. Until we realised that it was not a python….

One fine night one of the biologist replied WARNING us that it was a RUSSELL’S VIPER…..

3^rd MOST POISONOUS SNAKE IN INDA…AND ALSO A CREATURE THAT CLAIMS MAXIMUM OF THE SNAKE BIT DEATHS ALL OVER WORLD……

The mail came to me just the night before we were planning to take the snake in our hands and have some measurements of it…… God saved us that day….. none of us was a professional…..none of had a practical knowledge about the work….and god know what would have happened if we had done so….

So the snake was left near the river GOMTI, and was wished a very, very happy future by all the members of WILD…….. J

By the end I managed to hold the creature by its tail….. J and that was really the best experience…… I know I shouldn’t have done that…but the snake was going in the wrong direction…which was harmful for both the snake and the students standing there……

These are some of the last pictures of that snake.....