Beth Moos

ALT Photo title: Spooky surprise Photo credit: Girish Vilas Choure Photo caption: Coffee plantations of India are not only known for their rich quality coffee beans but also for these spectacularly camouflaged Craspedocephalus malabaricus or Malabar pit vipers. This snake species is highly venomous and their bites are clinically significant. Human beings economically dependent on coffee plantations for their livelihoods often suffer snake bites from Malabar pit vipers. While we might call this an attack, from the snake’s perspective it is defense – a never ending argument! In the picture is a wellcamouflaged C. malabaricus from the coffee plantations of Karnataka, India.

ALT Photo title: Shared landscapes Photo credit: Gnaneswar Ch Photo caption: Snakes are an important part of agrarian landscapes, as rodent controllers. Being an epicenter for snakebite, at least 58,000 people die in India annually. Russell's vipers are considered to contribute to most of these deaths but if they aren't provoked they cause no harm and can coexist peacefully as seen in the picture. The complexities in treatment, venom variation, and poor policies make it a nightmare for the victims. Preventive education plays a massive role in avoiding snakebites since most snakebites are accidents. Sensitizing communities with simple prevention measures and knowledge of snakebite contributes significantly towards mitigation.