Publication Date: 2019/12/13
Abstract: Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles whose body covered with scales which are arranged in rows. The present study was carried out on February 2016 till the end of September 2018 in selected habitat in Palpa districts. Six sampling stations were conducted in the study areas. The aim of this study is (i) to document the richness of snakes (ii) to explore the venomous and non- venomous snakes in Palpa district. Eight standardized 10 x 200 m strip transects and 20 standard quadrate sizes of 20 × 20 m were set in each station. Observed museum specimens in hospitals, campus and questionnaire survey were also conducted during data collection. A total of 23 species of snakes were recorded from 5 families (Boidae, Colubridae, Elapidae, Typhlopidea, and Viperidae). The most dominant snake families of the study areas were Colubridae with 14 species (n = 14; 60.86%) followed by the Elapidae (n = 5; 21.73%), family Viperidae (n = 2; 8.69%). The remaining families were Typhlopidae (n = 1; 4.34%) and Boidae (n = 1; 4.34%). During the study period, a total of 115 snake species were recorded. In this study, out of total, 7 species of venomous snakes (2 families with Elapidae and Viperidae) and 16 non venomous species (families Typhlopidae, Boidae and Colubridae) were recorded. Agricultural fields, riparian areas, ponds, wet lands provide a variety of habitats for frogs and their ophidian predators. Such types of habitat were suitable for the richness of snake species. The study areas were diverse microhabitats due to the elevation from 190 m to 1320 m with plain, Churia range and mountain range.
Keywords: Snakes, Habitat, Venomous, Non-Venomous.
DOI: No DOI Available
PDF: https://ijirst.demo4.arinfotech.co/assets/upload/files/IJISRT19NOV610.pdf
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