A Russell’s Viper and its 33 young ones were rescued by the forest department officials from a government quarters at Indira Nagar here on Wednesday.
The officials received the information about the mother snake being spotted on the premises of the Puducherry Finance secretary Raajiv Yaduvanshi’s quarters. After rescuing the mother snake, further search revealed 33 young ones. The snakes were later shifted to the rescue shelter on the forest department premises.
The Russell’s Viper is a highly poisonous species. An adult of the species resembles a python. The triangular shaped head of the snake is one of signs to identify it as highly poisonous variety.
Russell’s Vipers are ovoviviparous, which means that the eggs were laid and incubated inside the stomach of the mother. The mating occurs in January- February-March and the gestation period lasts for around six months. At a time a Russell’s Viper can give birth to 20 to 40 babies, which is June-July.
Dr Coumarane, forest department’s veterinary surgeon, said the young ones would be released to its natural habitats in a week’s time. The mother would be released only after it shed its skin and started feeding.
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