Climate change to alter habitat shift, snakebite risk across India

HE "Big Four" venomous snakes of India, namely the Indian cobra (Naja naja), common krait (Bungarus caeruleus), Russell's viper (Daboia russelii), and saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus), are likely to see their habitats shift significantly due to climate change, a new study has found.

- USHA PERI @ Visakhapatnam

For record's sake, the four are responsible for most snakebite deaths in the country.

Published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the study, titled 'Future of snakebite risk in India: Consequence of climate change and the shifting habitats of the big four species in next five decades,' warns that while southern states may see a reduction in suitable habitats, northern and northeastern regions could experience a sharp rise in risk, exposing new populations to snakebite-related health concerns.

The research has been carried out by Imon Abedin, Hey-Eun Kang, Hemanta Saikia, Won-Kyo Jung, Hyun Woo Kim, and Shantanu Kundu.

The risk index developed in the study combined three main elements including overlap of snake habitats with croplands and built-up areas, socio-economic deprivation and access to healthcare.