Snakes in the city: how to coexist with our fanged friends

The word “snake” has etymological roots linking it to words that mean, “to sneak”, “crawl” or “creep”. Thus, it is befitting to use this word in order to describe the creatures that form the Suborder, Serpentes. Snakes are limbless reptiles that move with a slithering motion. In fact, their lack of limbs is a consequence of evolution, resulting in them having developed several different methods of locomotion unique to serpents, enabling them to scale trees and walls, as well as swim rapidly through the water. They lack external eyelids and ears, many relying on infrared sensors in their snout to detect warm-blooded prey and predator alike. Their sense of smell, as well as taste, is perceived through their forked tongue which constantly samples particles in their environment and grants them a heightened ability to identify prey, recognize kin, choose mates, follow trails, as well as locate shelters. The underside of their body is sensitive to vibrations, allowing them to detect prey and predator movement, as well as predict the seismic activities associated with an oncoming earthquake. Their vision ranges from species to species, though most of them are especially adept at visually tracking movement. Additionally, snakes are ectothermic, or cold-blooded animals and do not possess an internal mechanism of regulating body temperature, thereby relying on the conditions of their external environment for sources of warmth.


Historically, snakes have been equally feared and revered across several cultures. Snakes have been worshipped in Ancient Egypt and Greece, and are still considered holy in Hindu cultures to this day. However, in spite of the reverence, there is always a sense of fear associated with it. The Medusa of Greek mythology, a mythical creature known as a Gorgon with snakes coming out of her head, was known to petrify, or literally turn to stone, anyone who met eyes with her. Whether true or not, snakes do indeed petrify those who catch sight of them, at least metaphorically. This might be associated with the “freeze” response of the parasynthetic nervous system that causes several animals to be paralyzed, deciding that not moving might be the best option. This response works especially well in front of snakes, as their vision is intricately linked to tracking movement and they often lose interest in stationary targets. Whether feared or revered, snakes have definitely been associated with silent stealth and slyness. In fact, even though several species of snakes do in fact inhabit our urban environment, they are rarely spotted out in the open.

Snakes are highly capable of adapting to a vast range of environments. Although snakes prefer to occupy shelters underground below and around patches of greenery or wilderness, snakes whose habitats have been cleared for the sake of urbanization have adapted quickly to secure shelter among urbanized environments in gutters and other underground tunnel systems. They also find the abundance of prey such as mice, rats, and other rodents that are in turn attracted by the abundance of urban food waste, favorable. Snakes generally emerge either when the temperatures get too cold, thus seeking warmth from the sunlight, in order to hunt or find a mate, and especially in India during monsoon season due to flooding of their homes. They also emerge when sensing seismic disturbances, due to vibrations from construction machinery and the like. Likewise, snakes will seek cover for similar reasons, either to hide from the sun during higher temperatures, after concluding hunting or mating, to nest and lay eggs, or to escape perceived threats.


PfA Bangalore has rescued and treated more than 10,000 snakes over 28 species. Working towards ensuring the welfare of urban wildlife, PFA provides dedicated and specialised clinical care for each of its rescued species, including an acupuncture treatment to treat spinal injuries commonly found in snakes due to run-ins with various aspects of their urban environment, such as traffic or construction machinery, in Bengaluru. Snakes are widely misunderstood, with several cultural misconceptions being propagated about them due to their demeanor. However, they are vital components of our ecosystem. PFA uses its instrumental Student Outreach Programme in order to spread awareness regarding the importance of snakes and wildlife in general. The most common species of snakes in Bangalore are the Spectacled Cobra, Russell's Viper and the Rat Snake. These serpents occupy unique positions in the intricate ecological food chain and help keep our environment in balance. As a part of this vital role, snakes help eradicate several disease-carrying pests such as rats.


In spite of their immense value, due to the fact that some snakes are known to be venomous, coupled with their intimidating disposition, most interactions between humans and snakes, especially in urban centers, are rife with fear and paranoia. While snakes do indeed pose a threat of danger to humans when provoked, what most people remain unaware of is that snakes simultaneously perceive humans as a threat to their life and will try their best to avoid confrontation before resorting to attacking. Due to this perception of danger from snakes, most snake rescues are not due to the snakes in need of rescue, but due to their sighting in residential areas alarming citizens who want to get rid of it.


To avoid encounters with snakes, do not venture into wild overgrown areas that may be prone to snake habitation. Avoid walking through bushes and tall grass, and try to wear shoes and socks that protect your feet whenever attempting to do so. Use a torchlight to guide you during the dark hours, in order to avoid accidentally stepping on and alarming a snake. Keep your home and yard clean of accumulated garbage, rubble and dry leaves wood, or stones, to avoid attracting pests and thereby snakes, as well as to deprive them of nesting opportunities.


The first thing to do when spotting a snake in an area around you is to consciously calm yourself. While the common misconception that snakes can smell fear is highly unlikely, they can detect fear through sudden movements made out of panic, and will perceive your fear as a signal that you may attack them. Move as little as possible, so as to not activate their movement-tracking vision. Wait and watch, to see if the snake will leave you on its own. It is highly likely that the snake is equally afraid to have encountered you and wishes to end it as soon as possible. Do not attempt to run, as the snake may perceive this sudden movement as an attack. Do not attempt to click pictures, especially using flash, or attract a crowd of spectators as all of this will startle the snake and make it more prone to attack. Do not block its access to the nearest greenery, as the snake will likely try to make a beeline for the nearest safe cover. If you have spotted the snake in a populated residential area, call authorised rescue services such as us to report the sighting while trying to keep an eye on the snake without attempting to follow, chase or catch it. If the snake disappears, do not attempt to hunt for it yourself and leave it to the expert rescuers to find it and return it to its suitable habitat zone.


If in case you or someone around you suffers a snakebite, immediately call an ambulance or seek medical attention as fast as possible. Do not attempt to dress or treat the wound yourself in any fashion or receive the same from any individual who is not medically trained. Additionally, ensure that the person bitten remains as still as possible. All of the above is to avoid the spread of venom in the body as much as possible. Try to memorise details about the snake, such as the color and size, as this information may come into use when the person bit is being treated.


While our fear of the threat they pose is valid, we must remember that the multitude of reasons that snakes emerge and enter areas inhabited by humans are brought about by us. If we want to ensure the safety of our fellow humans as well as extend our compassion to other species of wildlife that we coexist within our city, we must try our best to handle snake sightings and encounters in ways that will lead to the least harm being caused to all living creatures involved. Finally, it is important to spread awareness of the importance of snakes, among other wildlife, to combat the prejudiced notions of these fanged friends that envenom our society’s perception of them.



PfA offers free wildlife rescue services. Call us on +91 99000 25370 / +91 99803 39880