Exotic Animal Newsflash:
On Friday, it was reported that there are over 3000 monocled cobras in a village of 6000 in Choto Pashla in the West Bengal State of India. That’s 1 snake for every 2 villagers, many of them 7 ft long! Yikes! Neighboring villages are frightened visit!
They are, in essence, cohabitating with these creatures. They welcome these snakes, as they started worshiping them as representatives of a goddess, Manasa 6 centuries ago, when the snakes were forced there due to a flood. They believe their farms have consequently prospered ever since.
Women leave milk out for the snakes at midday and priests worship. When a snake dies, it is placed into the sacred Ganges River in an earthen jar. However, they are forbidden to touch the snakes.
Many villagers are bitten and die each year, as there are so many snakes, and they still use ancient remedies, but they do not seem to fear them. There are hospitals that have anti-venom available in the West Bengal state, but more often than not, villagers are unable to make it there for treatment.
The snakes are literally found everywhere and there is “nowhere to hide”: rice fields, ditches, muddy ponds, sunbathing by villager’s houses.
To read more on this article, go to:
One snake for two people in Indian village
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Naja
Species: N. kaouthia
The monocled cobra is black in color with a yellow ring around it’s neck and can grow up to 7′ in length (2 m). It is not a spitting cobra, but has large fangs that hold potent venom.
Conservation Status:
Although there are a plethora of the monocled cobra in this village,they are an endangered species.
Spread the word about this neat story and the plight of the monocled cobra.
I enjoyed today’s installment of Exotic Animal Lover, and learned a lot too! Until next time…
Live Exotically,
Kimberly Edwards 
P.S. I found this neat long-sleeved T-shirt, just in time for fall, of the Monocled Cobra:
Technorati Tags: cobra, snake, monocled cobra, Indian snakes, India, endangered species, reptiles, exotic animal news, Asian animals, carnivore
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