Chikkamagaluru city in Karnataka is a quaint hill station that attracts a lot of tourists. On one side, it has a stunning view of the Budangiri mountain range in the Western Ghats and is surrounded by greenery everywhere. There are many trails through forests, has a cascading waterfall named Hebbe Falls and coffee plantations. The Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is home to elephants, tigers and leopards. This peaceful city has now grabbed the headlines after a Bamboo Pit Viper was found here.
An extraordinary snake, the Bamboo Pit Viper, which is also referred to as Indian Green Pit Viper is generally found in the Western Ghats. The serpent was spotted in the Kalasa area of Chikkamagaluru city. The snake was caught by a reptile expert from the Kalaseshwara Temple.
The Bamboo pit viper is mostly found in the dense jungles of Southern India. One of its distinct features is that it has a triangular-shaped head. It also has large fangs and pits between its eyes and nose that can detect temperature variations in its environment.
The bamboo pit viper is one of the endangered species of reptiles. These snakes usually are average in size and may grow up to two feet only. They are usually bright green in colour and rarely yellow, grey or purple. If threatened, these snakes will not hesitate to bite which has a venom that may be hemotoxic and neurotoxic. It gets its name from inhabiting mostly bamboo grooves in the forest. Its diet mostly comprises frogs, lizards, rats and birds.
Rizwan, a reptile expert with his quick, deft hands caught it in a clear plastic bottle with holes poked in it to create proper ventilation for the reptile. This range of species is majorly found in southern India, especially in Tamil Nadu. It can also be spotted near Harishchandragad and other mountain ranges of Western Ghats as well.
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