Russell's Viper

Description:

Russell's Viper juvenile doing what it does best, camouflaging itself with the leaf litter.

Habitat:

Since it feeds on rodents, it is often found near human settlements, both in urban and rural areas.

Notes:

One of the big four venomous snakes of India, Russell's Viper is a terrestrial snake of the family Viperidae. An estimated 1.2 million people have died from snake bites in India in the past 20 years, a new study has found. Russell's Vipers, Common Kraits and Spectacled Cobras being responsible for most deaths. The remaining deaths were caused by at least 12 other species of snakes.