Reaching the Next Young Heart

First lets begin with the moderately venomous snakes of Sri Lanka.Moderately venomous means they don't have deadly venom but it can cause pain,wounds etc.

    Of the 85 land snake species recorded in Sri Lanka, only 5 contain venom that can be deadly   

So most of the snakes people encounter in their day to day life are not venomous snakes but people in Sri Lanka sometimes kill even those snakes due to lack of knowledge about these animals.

now it's time to identify the "Big5"-the deadliest snakes of Sri Lanka-

|Saw Scaled Viper (Echis carinatus) -වැලි පොළගා


Behaviour

• active during evening and night time
• Easily provoked; readily strikes
• When alarmed,makes noise by rubbing scales against each other
• Moves fast by sliding across sand

Fully grown viper can reach lengths of 30-50cm


Venom
     Haematotoxic venom (affects blood clotting)

Symptoms

• swelling and pain around the bitten area
• tissue around the bite site may die (cell necrosis)
• blisters can form and festering may occur
• bleeding through the bite wounds
• loss of blood due to anti coagulating properties

 Distribution
      Found in the arid zone,coastal sand dunes and scrub forest

    



|Common Cobra (Naja Naja) - නාගයා





Common Cobra is widely famous in Sri Lanka as 'naagaya' or 'naya'.Mainly because it is widely spread throughout the island except at high altitudes and it is the only 'hooded snake' in Sri Lanka.The hood bears a 'spectacle' marking on the dorsal surface (back of the hood). When the hood is retracted the neck appears clearly and broad.

Behavior

• Mostly active during the day;it is uncommon to encounter cobras at night.
• Commonly dound in the vicinity of water and around populated areas
• When alarmed it lifts about 1/3 of its fore body off the ground spreads its hood and prepares to strike
• A grown cobra will reach of about 100-150cm (3-5 feet)

      The venom contais neurotoxic (affects the nervous system) & cytotoxic properties (affects body cells)

Symptoms

• Swelling and extreme pain
• tissue necrosis (skin cells are destroyed) and skin can turn black
• Drooping eyelids,blurred and/or double vision
• Difficulty in breathing

|Sri Lankan Krait (Bungarus ceylonicus) -දුනු කරවලා /මුදු කරවලා




The Sri Lankan krait has it's own distinguish features to identify.this black n white snake's white cross bands are relatively broader and body is shiny and partially triangular.Its head is small that neck cannot be clearly defined and there are hexagonal scales along the spine.

Behavior

• Nocturnal
• Sluggish and do not usually attack during day time

• When alarmed adult can reach a length of 80-100cm (2-3 feet)

Venom
   Neurotoxic (affects the nervous system)

Symptoms

• mild pain around the bite site
• mild or no swelling
• faint fang marks may be visible
• Possible abdominal pain
• Drooping eyelids
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty in breathing

Distribution

• Indigenous to Sri Lanka
• Found in the low-country wet zone and regions extending from sea level up to 1000m
• Not documented in the dry zone

|Russell's Viper (Daboia russelii)  දාර පොළගා / තිත් පොළගා

With the triangular shape of the large head and clearly defined neck russell's viper can be easily identified.Its trunk is light brown with rows of round or oval shaped brown or yellow patches. Its body is stocky cylindrical in shape.

 Behavior

• Active during the evening and frequently encountered at night
• Sometimes found on small bushes
• Moves with great speed when alarmed
• When provoked it hiss loudly and cotinuously,preparing to strike
• A grown viper can reach a length of 80-130cm (2-4 feet)

Venom

•       Neurotoxic (affects the nervous system)

Symptoms

• Swelling and extreme pain
• Delay in blood clotting will result in loss of blood through vomit,urine and stool
• Blisters may arise around the bitesite
• Blurred vision
• Drooping eyelids
• Difficulty in breathing
• Possible abdominal pain

• Narrow, closely placed white cross-bands
• shiny triangular body

• Enlarged hexagonal vertebral (spinal) scales
• Found in anywhere in island except wet zone

With these points common indian krait can easily be seperated from the Sri Lankan krait.






Behavior

• Hides under leaf litter and rock piles during the day time,becoming active at night
• Not easily provoked,when alarmed,it will coil up and attempt to conceal its head
• Fully grown Indian Krait can reach a length of 80-170cm (2-5.5 feet)

Venom

• Neurotoxic (affects the nervous system)
• Majority of documented bites have occured during the night when the victims were asleep

Symptoms

• Mild pain around the bite wound and mild or no swelling
• Faint fang marks may be visible
• Possible abdominal pain
• Drooping eyelids
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty in breathing

Distribution

• Low country dry zone and intermediate zone
• Not yet documented in wet zone

And avoid any miss guide to do unnecessary and dangerous methods. 


places where you can get more information:

Environmental Foundation (EFL)            Wildlife Conservation Society-Galle
Environmental Foundation                                    wildlife conservation society-galle
146/34, Havelock Road,                                       Biodiversity Research and Education Center,
Colombo 05                                                       Hiyare Reservoir,Galle
011-7396700                                                     091-5624227


And if you are interested in wildlife and nature,go and check this,

Young Zoologists' Association- Sri Lanka
National Zoological Garden-Dehiwala

Snakes are beautiful, only if you are open enough to see it...