India registers over 58,000 snakebite deaths annually, almost 80 per cent of global snakebite deaths. The traditional practice of the Kalbelias, highly skilled in catching snakes and treating snake/scorpion bites, has been criminalised, and they lack land, livelihood and dignity. On World Snake Day, July 16, a look at the historical injustices meted out to this tribe of snake charmers.
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Indian antivenoms were ineffective in neutralising venoms of cryptic kraits
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Number one: The Sind krait (seen in the picture) has been identified as the snake with the most potent venom in India.
| Photo Credit:
Shubham N. Kurundwadkar
Indian antivenoms were ineffective in neutralising venoms of cryptic kraits
A study of snakes in southern and western India has identified a new species of snake. Named the Romulus’ krait
(Bungarus romulusi) after the ‘snake man of India’, Romulus Whittaker, the species has so far remained undetected because of its similarity in appearance to the common krait
(B. caeruleus) and only a careful genetic analysis revealed that the two were distinct species. The study also showed that some kraits in Maharashtra that were misidentified as the Wall’s Sind krait were actually the same as the Sind krait which is also found in parts of Pakistan and Rajasthan and has been identified as the snake with the most pote