Difference Between Venomous and Non-venomous Snakes?
© Capt Suresh Sharma. All Rights Reserved
Common Krait Bungarus caeruleus
Often, during my lectures on `snakes and snakebite’, or on the street or by guests at home, I am confronted by this commonly asked question `how to identify a snake’ or `how to differentiate between a venomous or non-venomous snake’. I think most of them expect me to give them a `quick fix’ answer – snakes those are black or hissing are venomous etc. Its not true, there is no short cut to know about which one is venomous, other than learning by practice – seeing them time and again, all snakes of one particular species look alike. So, all cobras will look alike, when confronted by a human being’s sudden appearance, they raise their hood, all Russell’s Vipers have the same kind of markings and hiss loud, all common kraits are black with twin bands on their body, all rat-snakes are alike, etc. So, you can learn about how to identify a snake, under trained eyes of an expert who is good at handling snakes or anyone who knows about snakes well.
CAUTION: As a common man, you must not even try to identify a snake, it solves no purpose. Just follow one rule of thumb: maintain a safe distance from a snake and stay away from its striking range, which is approximately one third of the total body length of the snake in your proximity. For a common man, snake is a snake!
In the past, I have seen, with poor knowledge of snakes, many snake handlers have got into trouble – mistaken identity ! Often a Russell’s Viper is mistaken for python baby, saw-scaled viper as common cat snake, common krait as wolf snake, etc. This can be a seriously dangerous and fatal mistake. Such incidents have occurred but not recorded so far. Whenever there is a Russell’s Viper sighted in my town, people often call and say that they have spotted a python baby. And I know that its Russell’s Viper and caution them to stay away at a safe distance and keep an eye till I reach.
On the lighter side: the Indian politicians, who have red or blue beacons and flags on their cars as VIPs, are the most dangerous `animals’ and can be identified with those signs, they are the `venomous snakes’ (synonym to evil) in real terms, attack others unprovoked. Sadly, these two-legged animals are out of synch on this planet. No other animal lives outside the rules of our eco-system, to cause anykind of destruction. There is no other animal which is so arrogant, as humans. And not surprised, now humans have started paying the price, most of us are affected by disease. And may be on the brink of self-annihilation.
NOTE: Please note that this information is very basic and meant for common man ONLY. The scientific methods and techniques to identify or to differentiate between a venomous and non-venomous snakes, are very accurate and are spcified clearly.