Snakes have always intrigued me- something about them command respect and awe at the same time. Over the years, I’ve had a quite few unforgettable encounters with these slithering beauties and they have remained with me as a lasting memory. In this post, I will share a quick byte on 5 such encounters:

Malabar Pit Viper, chorla (2009)

The Malabar Pit Viper (Trimeresurus malabaricus) is a venomous snake native to the Western Ghats of India. They are particularly known for their morphs and and striking coloration. Its ecology is intricately tied to the dense, tropical forests of the region, where they are known to inhabit short trees where they can be found still for hours together, patiently awaiting an unsuspecting prey to cross its path! The colour variations of the Malabar Pit Viper morphs are really fascinating and I remember sighting this bright yellow-green morph just outside our cottage in Chorla area. This particular specimen stayed in my mind for it was perched for the entire week at the same spot on a bush which was literally 3 feet from my cottage!

Ornate Flying Snake, Dandeli (2010)

During a college excursion to Dandeli in Karnataka, we stayed at a forest camp in Kulgi. A sudden shriek pierced the air; a girl just a few feet ahead of me was in shock. We rushed towards her only to discover that a snake had fallen from a tree!! Upon inspection, my jaw dropped—it was an Ornate Flying Snake (Chrysopelea ornata)! These are mildly venomous snakes capable of moving (like jumps/falls) from tree to tree giving it the same “Flying snake”. Seeing the snake up-close, the vibrant colours and intricate ornamental patterns were absolutely mesmerizing. The snake is not easy to spot as they are largely arboreal. We couldn’t quite figure out why it had fallen, but a bulge in its belly suggested it had probably just eaten. The sight was both stunning and mind-blowing, as I had never imagined witnessing such a rare and beautiful creature up close. It was a moment of pure awe, an unforgettable experience that made the excursion even more special.

Green Vine Snake, agumbe (2009)

The Green Vine Snake (Ahaetulla nasuta) is a relatively common semi-venomous species found in India. Its green coloration allows it to seamlessly blend into the surrounding foliage, often making the snake difficult to spot. More than a decade back, I remember this one time when I spotted the snake as it hunted a frog in Agumbe. While the snake’s venom doesn’t affect humans much, it can paralyze smaller prey like frogs. It took nearly three hours for the snake to fully subdue and swallow the frog whole. This was one of those rare and unforgettable moments where we witnessed the fascinating hunting behavior of snakes.

Bamboo Pit VipeR, Sahyadris (2023)

We had recently gone for a local hike around Mumbai. It was afternoon and we were walking back downhill on an unmarked path, heading back to the base village. We had kept forest markers for ourselves so we won’t get lost. As we reached a fork in the path, Ashwin pointed me in the direction I should go, but just as I was about to turn, something caught my eye. A tiny snake was coiled on a leaf, its gaze fixed intently on Ashwin. “Oh!” I gasped, realizing it was a (juvenile) Bamboo Pit Viper. The BPV (C. gramineus) is a common venomous species found in some parts of India. If we hadn’t paused for those brief 10 seconds, we would have surely missed this beautiful creature. It was a lucky moment, and a reminder of how fleeting these encounters can be!

Cat snake, agumbe (2008)

We were headed to our campsite and as we entered into the compound of the research station, we saw something slither between the thorny fencing. If not for the movement, we would have missed it completely for the snake we were about to see was fully merged with the sticks, twigs and thorny branches that lined the campsite. A cat snake (Boiga sp.) was making its way somewhere. Seeing it up-close let us observe its eyes, which were grey with vertical pupils, much like cats. We could not tell which exact species it was. But it was my first ever sighting of an adult cat snake and it was an unforgettable moment in the wild.

So, what have been your most exciting snake sightings?

Nature Observations Short Stories #nature bamboopitviper books camouflaged catsnake donotfearsnakes dontkillssnakes earthlynotes ecology environment flyingsnake foodchain foodweb foodwebs forests greenvinesnake herpetology herping ibrakeforsnakes jungle naturelove natureobservation naturephotography naturewatch observeandlearn ornateflyingsnake pitvipersofindia reptiles semivenomous serpents slitheringsnakes snake snakeecology snakeencounter snakeencounters snakes snakesarefriends snakesofindia snakesofinstagram snakesofwesternghats snakespotting storiesfromthewild theearthlynotes travelgram travelstories tropicalforests venom venomoussnakes westernghats wildlife wildlifespotting wildmoments wonderofsnakes writing