Hyderabad: Study shows rising snake rescues driven by urban expansion

A long-term study on urban snake ecology in Hyderabad has recorded an annual rise of 8-10 per cent in rescues over the past decade, attributing it to urban expansion, land-use change, and improved reporting and rescue efforts.

It also highlights that human-snake encounters are predictable rather than random events.

The study, conducted by a team of researchers at the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in collaboration with Friends of Snakes Society (FOS) in Hyderabad, was published in Global Ecology and Conservation, a press release said.

The study analysed 55,467 snake rescue cases between 2013 and 2022, showing how snakes adapt within rapidly urbanising environments in Hyderabad.

These findings contribute significantly to understanding snake ecology in densely populated areas and help predict future human-snake interactions, the release said.

The study found that 54% of recorded rescues involved venomous species, underscoring its relevance for public health.

Two species—the spectacled cobra (Naja naja) and the Indian rat snake (Ptyas mucosa)—accounted for 76 per cent of all rescues, it added.

These snakes appear to be particularly well adapted to densely populated urban environments, indicating ecological flexibility.

The study identified distinct clusters of snake encounters in Hyderabad, with 232 hotspots covering 6.9 % of the city.

It also found that snake activity varies throughout the day across species. While some species are predominantly diurnal, others are nocturnal, and some are active throughout the day.

The study provides the first empirical evidence of synanthropisation (the process by which wild animals or plants adapt to living in close association with humans), wherein snakes show adaptations to human-modified environments, said Avinash Visvanathan, lead researcher from FOS.

“Snakes use urban green spaces, drainage networks, and prey availability, supporting their persistence within the cityscape,” he said.

The study also noted clear seasonal trends in snake encounters, which peak during the monsoon period (July to November) and reach a maximum in October.

These temporal patterns align closely with biological processes such as mating, birth of young snakes, and increased activity under favourable environmental conditions, the release added.