Snakes in Kerala
All of India’s venomous snakes dwell in Kerala, the prominent and most dangerous ones being the common krait, Indian cobra, king cobra, saw-scaled viper, and Russell’s viper. The state has a diverse terrain comprising rainforests, deciduous forests, mountainous terrain, and vast stretches of coastal lands. This serves as a habitat for most venomous and non-venomous snakes.
Over recent years, the forest department officials have also reported an increase in the venomous species, mainly the Indian or spectacled cobra here. However, it is essential to note that between 2010 and 2019 there were 1.2 million casualties from snakebites in India, of which just 729 deaths occurred in Kerala.
Vava Suresh, the renowned snake catcher of Kerala, is credited with having rescued over 38,000 snake species and survived several venomous snake bites, the latest being a cobra bite on the 31st of January 2022 that led to hospitalization.
The forest department launched several apps to create awareness and protection of the snakes in Kerala, a significant one being the SARPA or Snake Awareness Rescue and Protection App.
| Groups | Venomous | Non-venomous |
|---|---|---|
| Vipers | Russell’s Viper Saw-scaled Viper | – |
| Pit Vipers | Malabar Pit Viper Hump-nosed Pit Viper Large-scaled Pit Viper Horseshoe Pit Viper | – |
| Kraits | Common Krait | – |
| Coral Snakes | Bibron’s Coral Snake | – |
| Cobras | Indian Cobra (Spectacled Cobra) King Cobra | – |
| Cerberus | Dog-faced Water Snake | – |
Ahaetulla | Gunther’s Vine Snake | – |
Fowlea | – | Checkered Keelback |
| Lycodon | – | Indian Wolf Snake |
| Dendrelaphis | – | Common Bronzeback Tree Snake Giri’s Bronzeback |
Cerberus | – | South Asian Bockadam |
Indotyphlops | – | Brahminy Blindsnake |
Enhydrina | Hooked-nosed Sea Snake | – |
Ptyas | – | Oriental Ratsnake |
| Xylophis | – | Anamalai Wood Snake |
Eryx | – | Red Sand Boa |
| Oligodon | – | Southern Banded Kukri |
Amphiesma | – | Buff Striped Keelback |
Coelognathus | – | Common Trinket Snake |
Chrysopelea | Ornate Flying Snake |
Quick Information
Big Snakes: Indian Cobra,King Cobra
Small Snakes: Brahminy Blindsnake
Most Dangerous Snake: Common Krait
FAQs
It is commonly said that vellikettan is the Malayalam name for the common krait. However, according to specific sources, vellikettan is a different snake species that is highly venomous and extinct. Vellikettan is also three or four times bigger than the common krait.
Rakta anali is the local name for the Russell’s viper found in Kerala.
Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple is the famous snake temple in Kerala lying within a forested region, bearing more than one lac image of snakes.
