Russell’s Viper:
Currently a terror name. It is the name of a poisonous snake. It is an animal of the order Chordata of the kingdom Animalia. Its scientific name is Daboia Russelii. Russell’s Viper is called Chandrabora or Uluberia in Bengali. Russell’s viper is named after the Scottish naturalist Patrick Russell. Patrick Russell wrote about this snake in his book An Account of Indian Serpents, Collected on the Coast of Coromandel in 1796.
Features:
The Russell Viper has a thick body with a narrow and short tail. An adult snake can usually be up to 1.2 meters (4 ft) in length. Their skin color is brown or gray with large patches of yellow or orange. These patches help the Russell Viper to be easily identified. Its head is flat, triangular and distinct from the neck. The snout is blunt, rounded and raised. The nostrils are large, each of which is located between a large and single nasal scale.
Residence:
These snakes are found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. They usually live in dry areas, grasslands, open forests and farmlands. They are active at night and prey on small mammals, birds and other reptiles. Earlier this snake was seen only in the Rajshahi region of Bangladesh. That is why it was known as the snake of the Barendra region. At present, the Padma Basin is expanding to many districts in the southern region. Russell’s Viper has been found in Rajshahi, Rajbari, Faridpur, Kushtia, Manikganj, Chandpur, Hatia, Bhola in Bangladesh.
Poisons and their effects:
A Russell’s viper snake can pour a lot of venom in one bite. The amount of venom in adult snakes is 130-250 mg, 150-250 mg and 21-268 mg. A baby viper with an average length of 79 cm (31 in) ranges from 8 to 79 mg (average 45 mg) of venom.
Early symptoms from a Russell viper bite include severe pain, swelling, bleeding, and vomiting. If the poison enters the body, it can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, kidney failure, heart attack and sometimes death.
Treatment:
The polyvalent antivenom (developed at Haffkine Institute in India) which is used to prevent venomous snakes in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka etc., can also be used to prevent moonshine venom.
A new antivenom was developed by the Clodomiro Picado Institute in Costa Rica in 2016 and used experimentally in Sri Lanka.
This is the most effective treatment for Russell Viper sting which gives the body immunity against Russell Viper venom. However, this antivenom is effective only when applied on time.
The Bangladesh Flora and Fauna Encyclopaedia published by the Asiatic Society in 2009 has described it as Critically Endangered in Bangladesh and Endangered in the world. This species is protected under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act of 2012 of Bangladesh. According to the data of 2024, the snake is spreading in different districts of Bangladesh, from 2013 to May 2024, this snake was seen in 32 districts.
Although it is important to nature, it is still a big threat to humans. Russel viper bite damage can be avoided by timely treatment, increased awareness, and preventive measures. Also, necessary steps should be taken to conserve them so that the balance of nature is maintained and our environment is protected.
