AT RISK!

Albinism among species everywhere, places them at risk from predators and humans. The author speaks of his experience with an albino banded krait.

- CHANDAN CLEMENT SINGH

Taxonomists and biologists have described and classified 1.7 million plants and animals as of 2010. This is considered less than one-quarter of the total species estimated in the world.

Sometimes we come across an animal that looks new because of its shape and colour; Albino animals, for example. Albinos lack melanin pigment so they are either totally pink/white (complete albinism) or paler than their normal colour (incomplete albinism). These are not new species but a colour variant of a species. I found such an individual of Banded Krait on the bank of the river Saraswati, at Korolla near Bandel, West Bengal. It was rescued from a trap-net spread over the banks of the river. It was found injured when rescued. I took the snake to my house to get it treated and release it into its natural habitat after it was restored to health. The Sundarbans, so far a safe natural haven for the banded krait have been witnessing a sharp and rapid decline in their numbers owing to insensible urbanisation and illegal encroachment of land and irregular constructions.