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Indian subcontinent boasts of housing approximately 10 percent of the total
snake species found in the world, adding up to somewhere around 200 species in
number. From warm seas to semi-deserts, swamps, lakes and even the Himalayan
glaciers, one can find snakes in almost all the habitats in India. The snakes of
India range from Worm Snakes, about 10 cm in length, to the King Cobra,
measuring upto 6 m. In the following lines, we have mentioned the four most
popular species of Indian snakes:
Cobra
Cobra, scientifically known as Naja naja, is one of the poisonous snake species
native to the Indian subcontinent. It grows to an average height of 1 m and has
two circular ocelli patterns on the rear of its hood. These patterns seem to be
connected by a curved line, giving the look of spectacles.
King Cobra
Indian Snakes Indian King cobra snake belongs to the Ophiophagus Genus and is
scientifically known as Ophiophagus Hannah. It is believed to be the largest
poisonous terrestrial snake, measuring upto 5.7 m in length. However, the weight
of a King cobra rarely exceeds 44 lb (20 kg).
Python
Python snake, also known as Ajgar, is one of the most massively built snakes of
the Indian subcontinent. It belongs to the Boidae Family and is dependent on
water to quite an extent. One of the unique features of the Rock pythons of
India is that they can raise their body temperature above the ambient level,
through muscular contractions.
Russells Viper
Russells Viper is known by a number of other names, like Daboia, Tic Polonga,
etc. A highly poisonous snake of the Viperidae family, it is scientifically
known as Vipera russelli. Indian Russell's viper is responsible for most of the
snakebite deaths within its habitat.
Apart from the above-mentioned species, the following types of snakes are also
commonly found in India:
* Saw Scaled Viper
* Purple Pit Viper
* Krait
* Flower Snake
* Common Rat Snake
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