| Abstract: |
Covering approximately 342,239 km2, Rajasthan is the largest state of India by area, and hosts an exceptionally diverse, yet relatively poorly understood, snake fauna shaped by its heterogeneous ecological landscape that encompasses arid/thinly vegetated desert scrub/grassland through to riparian floodplain. Gigantic snakes like the reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) are observed hereHighly urbanized regions with strong human habitation like the Kota district, in the Hadoti region along the Chambal River corridor, describe a more complex habitat matrix supporting high species diversity, including a number of medically-important snakes. Using a combination of field-based data, peer-reviewed literature, public institutional databases and government biodiversity reports, this paper investigates spatial distribution patterns, biological and behavioral ecology and venom variability among snake species documented in and around Kota, Rajasthan. Around 25 species of snakes have been recorded in the myriad of micro-habitats across the District, including scrublands, fields, riverine habitats and rocky plateaus. Of these, the four medically important species Najanaja (Indian cobra), Bungaruscaeruleus (common krait), Daboiarusselii (Russell's viper), and Echiscarinatus (saw-scaled viper) show remarkable interspecific variation in ecology, patterns of behavior, and venom composition. Natural historical studies based on known toxicology literature on specific components of venoms demonstrates venom composition can differ broadly between species, and this variation can also occur within a species and can result from ecological selective pressures and/or geographic isolation. This study emphasizes the need for regional herpetological surveys, antivenom optimization, and biodiversity conservation plans for the Kota region. The implications of the findings are a significant aspect of public health management and wildlife conservation policy in Rajasthan. |
