Snake Snippets
It was just after sunset. I was walking at the northern end of the path that runs along Dhaka's Baridhara Lake. This part gets few visitors; now it was empty. In the waning light, a flicker of movement up ahead caught my attention. I discerned one of the feral cats living in the park and was startled to see it had caught a snake by its head. The snake writhed mightily trying to free itself but the cat rapidly dragged it, presumably to a safe place to feed on it. At one point the snake pulled itself free and slithered away, but the cat was faster. Pouncing on the snake's head it reclaimed its prey. The snake struggled weakly as hunter and hunted disappeared into the darkness.
The snake was a checkered keelback, or dhora as it is locally known. Common in Bangladesh, it lives in water and can be seen in many lakes. It is non-venomous but nonetheless hunted and killed in our villages because it eats small fish fry in the fish ponds.
The dhora is among the 76 (or perhaps 77, see below) species of snake recorded in Bangladesh. Some years ago I had the good fortune of watching it, unobserved, while it cavorted freely in the water while looking for food in a small muddy pool. Crouching behind a bush in twilight's dim light, I watched it swim, twisting and turning, darting this way and that whenever it sensed prey. After a few minutes of squatting my thighs gave way and I flinched. It instantly disappeared underwater ending my show, but its graceful moves have stayed with me.
I also clearly remember a very long beige-and-brown snake that had wrapped itself in a large circle around a bush in Sundarban. Its tail dangled next to its head as it enjoyed the winter sun. Recently this snake, which was originally thought to be a brown vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta), has since been recognized as a different species (Ahaetulla anomala) by zoologists.
Also in Sundarban, I saw a monocled cobra, identified by a single golden circle behind its head. The black snake had made its home inside the trunk of a large uprooted gewa tree. As several photographers waited, it peeped out a couple of times to see what the commotion was about. Someone pointed out it was about to moult and in considerable pain during the entire process. Indeed, examining the photographs later I saw places where the skin had started to break and peel.
Snakes get a bad rap in our culture: we are all afraid of their venom for good reason and feel wary of their sudden, silent moves. However, with few exceptions, snakes are defensive and will run for their lives when they see humans. Obviously one must exercise caution around them.
The most beautiful description of snakes I found was in Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire. He describes the love dance of a pair of gopher snakes which he watched while hiding. As he watches the exquisite sequence, which includes the snakes intertwining, he makes an inadvertent noise. The embarrassed snakes run away immediately, much like my twilight dhora.
Once I was terrified of snakes but as I have seen and learned more about them, caution and mild fear has replaced my terror. I recognize snakes for being an important part of our biodiversity. But I tread carefully in places which can harbour snakes.
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