Before birds soared across skies and beasts roamed dominions of earth, ancient cultures spoke of beings that slithered: powerful, mysterious, often divine. In the ruins and remains of mythologies from all around the world, snakes were not just animals; they were and continue to be symbols, guardians, creators, and sometimes even gods.
Serpents have been enshrined in stories of power, transformation, and eternity. In Hindu mythology, Shesha is the eternal serpent with a thousand heads on which the world rests, and the god Vishnu takes his cosmic sleep. The deeply feared yet revered Nāgas guard the subterranean palaces. Across continents, reverence persists: the Aztec Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent deity of wisdom; the Greek Ouroboros, a serpent eating its own tail to symbolise infinity; and the Rainbow Serpent of Australian Aboriginal lore, shaping rivers and land as it slithers across the earth.
In India’s pop culture, the mythic snake slithers forward into the pages of comic books. Take Nagraj, the green-skinned superhero whose body hosts thousands of venomous serpents, capable of shapeshifting and has psychic powers. Though fictional, his mythos reflects the deeper spiritual and cultural ties India shares with its serpentine figures — beings that straddle the line between fear and fascination. But these stories aren’t just echoes of the past. If you venture into the Western Ghats, these mythical serpents never quite left.
Why the Western Ghats are a Herpetologist’s Dream…and a Snake’s Paradise
If the Western Ghats were a party, snakes would be the guests who suddenly show up uninvited, but find corners to stay hidden within. This ancient mountain range is one of the eight “hottest hotspots” of biodiversity in the world, meaning that it is among the most popular regions across the world for wildlife to prosper. Stretching across 1,600 km from Maharashtra to Kerala, the Ghats are older than the Himalayas and teeming with wildlife that is as dramatic as it is diverse. But you know what makes the Western Ghats, also known as the Great Escarpment of India, even more incredible? A significant number of serpents that are endemic to it: meaning you won’t find them anywhere else on Earth!
But what makes the Western Ghats a perfect serpent sanctuary?
The answer lies in habitat heterogeneity. The Ghats’ moody topography ranges from dense evergreen forests and monsoon-soaked valleys to high-altitude grasslands and seasonal streams, offering an extraordinary diversity of ecological land. These niches allow for a multitude of snake species to coexist without direct competition, each adapting to its own sliver of the environment.
Some snakes, like the Malabar pit viper, dwell in the damp forest undergrowth, blending seamlessly with fallen leaves. Others, such as the aquatic checkered keelback, thrive along fast-flowing mountain streams. A few rare ones burrow beneath the soil, emerging only during the monsoon season like ancient secrets revived by rain. Each has carved a unique path through history, which is why Western Ghats is no less than a compilation of evolutionary poetry, coiled into living forms. But with these Ghats receiving the spotlight as a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, many species that spent millions of years of comfortable isolation are now receiving extraordinary global attention.
Meet the Myth: Worthy Snakes of the Western Ghats
1. Malabar Pit Viper (Craspedocephalus malabaricus)
With hypnotic eyes and in colours ranging from earthy browns to mossy greens and vibrant yellows, the Malabar pit viper is a true master of camouflage. Endemic to the Western Ghats, this ambush predator waits patiently along moss-covered rocks or tree trunks, striking with precision at unsuspecting frogs, lizards, and small mammals.
What sets it apart? Like all pit vipers, its infrared-sensing pit organs, situated between its eyes and nostrils, allows it to “see” the heat signature of prey. This ability lends it an almost supernatural ability, no wonder it’s often associated with the guardians of sacred groves in local folklore! As an apt inspiration for biomimicry, heat signals from pit vipers could also lead to developments in thermal imaging and medical imaging, and enhance military and defence systems as well. Its hemotoxic venom, while not usually fatal to humans, causes intense pain, swelling, and tissue damage.
2. King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)
If snakes had monarchs, the king cobra would wear the ruling ‘cape’ without contest. With a length of up to 15-18 feet, it’s the world’s longest venomous snake and commands both awe and dread in equal measure. Its Greek name Ophiophagus literally means “snake-eater”. It preys on other serpents, including poisonous ones like kraits and non-poisonous ones like rat snakes. What’s even more extraordinary? The female king cobras is the only snake species known to build a nest for her eggs, fiercely guarding them until they hatch — a rare glimpse of maternal behaviour in reptiles.
King cobras are found in select regions of the Western Ghats, especially in Agumbe where rainforests receive such high rainfall that it is often called the “Cherrapunji of the South” . Locals often treat encounters with the king cobra as sacred, with many believing it to be an incarnation of the divine Nāga.
3. Shieldtail Snakes (Uropeltidae family)
Perhaps the most enigmatic of all are the shieldtail snakes — non-venomous, small, fossorial (animals that dig into the ground) serpents with iridescent scales and a tail that looks like a flat, spade-shaped shield. These snakes emerge from their lives underground during the monsoon to forage and mate.
Some shieldtail snakes are so uniquely local that they’re found only on one hilltop or within one small patch of forest in the Western Ghats, giving them the status of being micro-endemics. Their rarity and secretive lifestyle make them one of the least sighted and studied snake groups in the world.
Snakes & Ecology: The Curly Pillars of Biodiversity
Despite cultural beliefs, their ecological importance and fascinating adaptations, snakes are still some of the most misunderstood beings in India. Centuries of misinformation have led to fear-driven killings and conflict, especially during the time of Shravan. It’s time we shed the skin of these misconceptions. Snakes play an irreplaceable role in their environment and as both predator and prey, they form vital links in food chains:
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- Rodent Control: Farmers unknowingly owe snakes a great deal of debt of gratitude. A single rat snake can eat dozens of crop-damaging rodents each year. Without snakes, rodent populations would surge, leading to increased food scarcity.
- Ecosystem Indicators: Some snakes are highly sensitive to temperature and pollution, so their presence — or absence — make them bioindicators, helping scientists assess the health of ecosystems.
- Medical Potential: Beyond its function as anti-venom and its historical use as traditional medicines, snake venom is also being researched for its therapeutic properties for treating arthritis, cancer, asthma and other ailments. However, there needs to be a strict line drawn between use and abuse of snakes to derive venom, the latter of which can threaten the populations of certain species of snakes.
Spotted a Snake? Here’s What (& What Not) to Do
Spotting a snake can be startling, but staying calm is key. Snakes are unlikely to be interested in us and will move away if left undisturbed. Here’s a quick guide you can save and share!
Protecting the Protectors: A Call for Conservation
The survival of these mystical reptiles is under threat — not from natural predators, but from us.
Habitat loss due to deforestation, plantation farming, and urbanisation is fragmenting the delicate ecosystems snakes rely on. Road kills, illegal pet trade, and persecution are decimating already rare species. Climate change is altering breeding patterns and food availability, impacting their survival.
If we want the forests of the Western Ghats to continue whispering legends of snakes, we must act. Snakes can be seen as shimmering threads woven through the intricate tapestry of ecology, mythology, and medicine. To fear them without understanding them is to miss out on their valuable existence in their ecosystem. These reptiles deserve not only our respect, but our protection.
In April 2025, Wildlife SOS joined forces with leading researchers, conservationists, forest officials, and NGOs for a Scoping Workshop on Snake Conservation in the Western Ghats that was held in Lonavala, Maharashtra. This two-day landmark event brought the often-overlooked snakes of the Western Ghats into much-needed focus. Led by Dr. Sanjay Molur (Zoological Society of London), the workshop marked a turning point in coordinated conservation efforts.
Key outcomes of the workshop included:
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- Prioritising research on lesser-known endemic snake species and their habitats.
- Creating community outreach and education programmes to reduce fear and conflict.
- Proposing standardised rescue and rehabilitation protocols for snakes.
- Advocating for snake-inclusive forest management policies.
- Promoting citizen science to map and monitor snake populations more effectively.
Wildlife SOS extends its gratitude to Upadhyaya Foundation and Zoo Outreach Organisation for hosting such a valuable workshop. Joining hands underscores our commitment to changing the narrative from one of fear and superstition to science, empathy, and conservation.
Wildlife SOS has been conducting professional rescues of snakes found within human settlements, and while doing so, has also spread awareness about the species among the local population. This leads to a knowledge and sensitivity needed among people in case they encounter any snake in future.
The next time you see a snake in distress, we strongly advise not to tackle it alone, and reach out to the nearest wildlife authority instead. If you reside in any of the following locations, contact Wildlife SOS’s Rapid Response Units on their helplines that are active 24×7:
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- Delhi-NCR: +91-9871963535
- Agra, Uttar Pradesh: +91-9917109666
- Vadodara, Gujarat: +91-9825011117
- Jammu & Kashmir: +91-7006692300 or +91-9419778280
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Let’s protect these ancient custodians of the forest together!
Feature image: Wildlife SOS/ Akash Dolas
