Question

Which is a poisonous snake?
(a)Tree snake
(b)Russell’s viper
(c)Natrix
(d)Eryx

Answer 1

Hint: These snakes can grow up to 160 cm and are commonly found in Asia (especially India, Nepal, Bhutan, etc.) These snakes majorly feed on small lizards, arthropods (crabs, scorpions, etc.), and rodents.

Complete answer:
Russell's viper (Daboia) is the poisonous snake among the list and Russell vipers belong to the genus of venomous vipers. This species of viper got it’s name after Patrick Russell, a Scottish Herpetologist who first wrote about various snakes of India. Among all venomous snakes in India, this one species is the reason for most snakebite cases and deaths.

Additional Information: -The name of the snake in Bengali is 'chandroborha' due to the presence of marks similar to the moon on its body.
-These snakes don't have any particular habitat but are commonly found more in grassy areas than deep dense forest. Russell's viper also avoids highly humid areas such as swamps and marshes.
-As Russell's viper gets matured, rodents become their major prey, and due to this reason they are often found near human habitats where rats are found abundantly.
So, the correct answer is ‘Russell’s viper’.

Note: -Russell's vipers achieve reproductive maturity in 2 to 4 years and they mate once in a year. They usually give birth in the period of June and July and the progenies have an average length of 210- 270 mm.
-Due to their fearful reputation and being a top predator in the food chain, many other weaker organisms such as the sand boa(non-venomous snake) mimic Russell's vipers.
-Russell's vipers produce an amount of venom of about 150 to 260 mg, where 40 to 70 mg is enough to kill an adult human being.