In Honour of the Serpent

(This article is an adaptation of a piece written for a Gujarati publication for World Snake Day, July 16 with my colleague Mautik Dave , We acknowledge the contribution of by our able intern Vedika Mandapati )

Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean) is an important story in Indian mythology. Vasuki, the king of the serpents becomes the churning rope around Mount Mandar- and reflects the strong and ancient link of serpents with Indian culture. Across continents, snakes have been celebrated or worshipped in their own contexts.???

But to the modern-day fans of Harry Potter and the Jungle Book— snakes are a sign of evil, linked to the most villainous of characters. So what went wrong between the ancient and modern days that’s turned serpents from the divine to the dangerous? With an increase in the targeted killing of snakes by civilians, the question must be asked: why do we believe that all snakes are dangerous, and what’s more, why do we not understand the important role they play in safeguarding our own lives?

The stigmatisation of snakes is pervasive and is most likely linked to many myths that have been spread about the reptiles. For instance, many people believe them to be slimy and dirty because their skin sometimes has a shiny appearance. In reality, some snakes just have a waxy layer on their skin which makes them appear slimy- but are cool and dry to the touch. So snakes are actually not slimy at all!

One particularly damaging myth is that all snakes are venomous and that snake bites are incurable — which makes snakes seem much more dangerous than they are. Only 20% of snakes globally are venomous, which means that they have the potential to inject toxins via their fangs, which the WHO points out, are easily treated through common antivenoms.?

Some venomous snakes such as Monocled Cobra, Spectacled Cobra and Russell’s Viper are protected by law under Schedule II of the #Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and some non-venomous snakes, such as the Rock Python, are protected under Schedule 1 as well. This classification primarily implies that the species enlisted will attract the highest safeguarding and maximum penalties for harming them. Indeed, #India Post commemorated India’s #national #reptile , the King Cobra (nagraj) with a stamp in 2003, along with the Python, Bamboo Pit Viper, and the Gliding Snake.?

Snakes are essential to #biodiversity and in maintaining the health of the #ecosystem , just like every species on the planet.?They play a unique role in the food web because of their status as #mesopredators — which means they are both predators and prey. Mesopredators are responsible for controlling the population of the species they consume, as well as sustaining the population of the species that consume them. The targeted killing of snakes, therefore, has multiple consequences along the food chain, including a decline in the population of foxes and birds of prey that consume snakes, and an increase in the population of rats and insects that are normally consumed by snakes.

Snakes are also very important to sustaining human life, because of the types of prey that they consume.?These pests can be reservoirs for dangerous diseases that impact humans — such as rodents that carry Lyme disease and Salmonella. In 2019, the global pest control market was valued at 19.7 billion USD by Forbes, a staggering number that proves how much we’re willing to invest in artificial remedies to get rid of these pests. Perhaps we wouldn’t need so much pest control if we let nature run its course and allowed snakes to eliminate pests for us naturally.

The spread of #myths about snakes is harming the planet — and quite directly also harming us. Today, on World Snake Day, it is definitely time to reconsider their villainous portrayal, especially when one considers the lasting impact this has without proper education to counteract it.

(July 16 is observed as World Snake Day – and is an occasion to raise awareness of these beautiful but often misunderstood creatures)