Rare sighting of Buff Striped Keelback snake
With mercury levels continuing to rise across Delhi-NCR, snakes are coming out of their burrows and pits to take shelter in places such as gardens, kitchens and even hostels. Among many, Wildlife SOS rescued a rare Buff Striped Keelback snake from a residential society in Motibagh.
A few days ago, the Wildlife SOS team had rescued a three-feet-long Monitor Lizard at DMRC Apartments, Sarita Vihar. The reptile was initially seen crawling along the window sill but ended up trapped between the window panes.
Residents of a South Motibagh complex, near Sadhu Vaswani International School for Girls, came across a Buff Striped Keelback snake in their garden.
After being informed, the Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit reached the location immediately, safely extricated the non-venomous snake and transferred it to a rescue facility. The snake is currently under observation and will soon be released back into its natural habitat.
The Buff Striped Keelback (Amphiesma stolata) is a mid-sized reptile growing up to 80 cm but mostly found under lengths of 60 cm. Its colour ranges from olive-brown to gray and has keeled scales on the dorsal surface of the body. Distinct features of this snake are the two yellow stripes along the length and to the sides of the spine. It is a widely distributed non-venomous snake across Asia and Southeast Asia but is rarely seen.
In another incident, employees at the Indiabulls Centrum Park campus in Gurgaon Sector 103 received a surprise visitor in the form of an Indian Cobra coiled on top of an LPG gas cylinder in the kitchen. The Wildlife SOS Rapid Response Unit immediately reached the location and following all safety precautions, carefully extricated the snake.
The NGO also rescued two baby cobras, one from a hostel at Jawaharlal Nehru University and the other one from a park in Mayur Vihar Phase-I. The rescue of a 5-foot-long rat snake from near a dustbin in Dwarka sector 14 rounded off the busy week dominated by snake rescues.
Geeta Seshamani, Co-founder and Secretary Wildlife SOS said: “Wild animals enter urban settlements when their habitat is disturbed or encroached upon by rampant development, forcing them to seek refuge in human habitation. Wildlife SOS’ 24-hour rescue helpline receives regular calls from people reporting snake sightings in buildings, parks, college premises and people’s homes. Our team is extremely well-trained in handling such delicate operations, and making sure that the snakes are rescued without causing any harm.”
Wasim Akram, Deputy Director – Special Projects, Wildlife SOS said: “Snakes are ectothermic animals and cannot regulate their internal body temperature. Hence, on excessively hot days, they come out of their pits in search of cooler, shaded places to take shelter.”
