🐍Snakes of West Bengal🐍
We often fear snakes and the consequences of snake bites. A little awareness and knowledge regarding this topic would help us greatly in dealing with such situations. This thread provides an overview of the common snakes of West Bengal & related topics.
🐍Keute/Padma Gokhra 🛑 (Venomous)
The Monocled Cobra (Naja kouthia), found near wetlands, marshes, grasslands, and humid habitats, is a highly venomous snake. It is diurnal as well as nocturnal in nature.
🐍Kalach 🛑 (Venomous)
The Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus), found near paddy fields, water sources, human habitats, and gardens, is a highly venomous snake. It is mainly nocturnal in nature and usually attacks when struck or hurt.
🐍Gokhra 🛑 (Venomous)
The Spectacled Cobra (Naja naja), easily identified by the spectacle mark on its hood, is usually present near paddy fields, termite hills, and rodent burrows. This highly venomous snake is diurnal as well as nocturnal.
🐍Dora Sankhini Keute🛑 (Venomous)
The Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus), identifiable by its unique body color and stripe pattern, is highly venomous and can be found near lowlands and wetlands. It is mainly nocturnal, of calm nature, and a good swimmer as well.
🐍Chondrobora 🛑 (Venomous)
The Russell's Viper (Daboia russelii) is mainly found near rocky areas, scrublands, paddy fields, and hedges. It is primarily nocturnal, slow-moving, and its attacks are very swift.
🐍Kalnagini 🟠 (Mild Venomous)
The Ornate Flying Snake (Chrysopelea ornata) is an arboreal snake, diurnal in nature, found in parks and gardens. They can expand and flatten their bodies, which helps them glide.
🐍Laudoga 🟠 (Mild Venomous)
The Vine Snake (Ahaetulla anomala) can be identified by its bright green color, although other variations are also present. They can be found in bushes, bamboo farms, and crevices. They are seldom found on land, being experts in camouflaging.
🐍Metey 🟠 (Mild Venomous)
The Rainbow Mud Snake (Enhydris enhydris), as the name suggests, is mainly found in water bodies and marshlands. It is diurnal and aquatic in nature, and is normally docile.
🐍Puye/Kecho/Dumukho 🟢 (Non Venomous)
The Brahminy Blind Snake (Indotyphlops brahminus) mainly lives in holes and burrows. It looks like a big earthworm and excretes a foul-smelling substance when threatened.
🐍Moyal 🟢 (Non Venomous)
The Indian Rock Python (Python molurus), extremely long in size, resides in rocky and dry areas, forests, and wetlands. It is nocturnal, a swimmer, and devours small animals.
🐍Hele 🟢 (Non Venomous)
The Buff Striped Keelback (Amphiesma stolatum), found near paddy fields and water bodies, is diurnal in nature and of calm temperament. It secretes unpleasant excreta when irritated.
🐍Jawldhora 🟢 (Non Venomous)
The Checkered Keelback (Fowlea piscator), mainly found near water bodies, is an expert swimmer, both nocturnal and diurnal in nature. It moves in winding postures and catches fish.
🐍Cheeti 🟢 (Non Venomous)
The Common Wolf Snake (Lycodon aulicus) is found around human habitats and is a much ill-tempered snake, an efficient climber. It feeds on lizards and geckos.
🐍Udoykal 🟢 (Non Venomous)
The Banded Kukri Snake (Oligodon arnesis) is found in degraded forests. It is nocturnal in nature, and while its bites are painful, it is usually calm in nature.
🐍Danrash 🟢 (Non Venomous)
The Indian Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosa) is long in size and common in paddy fields, coastal areas, and rocky places. It's a fast climber, agile, and diurnal in nature. It devours small animals and other snakes.
🐍Betachra 🟢 (Non Venomous)
The Bronzeback Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis tristis) is diurnal and arboreal. It swells its body for defensive behavior and is highly agile in nature. It consumes small birds and reptiles.
Snake attacks can be broadly categorized into three categories. Some snakes wrap up their prey tightly to prevent circulation and respiration. Some deliver a lethal bite, injecting venom to neutralize or even kill. Some just assume a position to demonstrate the strike.
Even some snakes devour their prey alive.Snake venom can be classified into different types based on their action. Haemotoxin prevents the normal functioning of blood clotting mechanisms. Neurotoxin blocks nerve impulses. Cardiotoxin causes attacks in cardiac muscle, & myotoxin.
Snakes are found in almost every habitat, so it's important to prioritize safety. The majority of snake bites are non-venomous, but every bite requires immediate first aid treatment. Don't rub the bitten area; keep it calm and still. Cover the bite with a cloth & gently wipe it.
Obtain antivenom serum from the nearest healthcare center without delay. Avoid the cut and suction method for wounds, which could lead to severe tissue infection. Most snakes are calm in nature. Try to avoid disturbing snakes and their nesting places.
Regularly clean bushes and spread carbolic acid in areas if you reside in a snake-infested area.Don't believe in myths spread about snakes. charmers. Avoid treatments from charmers after snake bites.
Snakes serve as significant upper-level predators and play an important role in ecosystems and the food chain. They control the populations of amphibians, rats, lizards, and other pests. They have medicinal uses and serve as a food source for apex predators.
Therefore, snake conservation is crucial. Some snakes are endemic to certain regions. Killing such snakes or engaging in commercial activities related to them is a criminal offense.
If you encounter a distressed group of snakes, contact the nearby rescue team. Snakes are among the most misunderstood creatures in the world, so more awareness is needed about them.
**Pictures collected from internet.
When discussing the Snakes of Bengal, Manasa is the presiding deity of snakes. Legends associated with the deity occupy a significant role in the folklore and indigenous culture of the region. You can check out our thread on this topic at
Disclaimer - This thread is based on some of the most common snakes of West Bengal. There are several other snakes in the state with different local names. Herpetology is a vast subject. For a deeper understanding & more information, consult books on this topic. Thank you
🐍END🐍
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With the advancement of time, skills, & technology, each new day a work which used to be a profession once is getting gradually debarred. Many such lost professions and associated rituals were rooted in rural Bengal
which have disappeared, some losing relevancy with age. To start with, Borati, a lost profession, rooted in the time when most girls were married off at the tender age of ten. In their in-laws’ houses, they often went without having almost any sense of the new life.
Borati’s task was to assist such newly married child brides in their in-law houses until they became grown enough , used to it taking care of them, looking after their needs, even up to the delivery of their child sometimes.
If you have been brought up in Bengali household, then you would have definitely played a lot of Ikir Mikir Cham Chikir spreading your fingers in your childhood days while narrating the rhyme. At a glance, Ikir Mikir might appear as child's rhyme of play
but actually the poem has got a much more intense and wrenching backstory that highlights many other sides of society. In the game, primarily two have to sit spreading their fingers, and one has to count fingers reciting the rhyme, where rhyme ends the finger needs to be folded.
Likewise, the one who completes folding all can hit the other one in the hand whose fingers are pending.
The rhyme opens with the line Ikir Mikir Cham Chikir, which means earning wages after working hard and farming (ikir).
When Lord Krishna himself charged the defense to protect Bengal from Bargis! 🧵💥🤺
Back to 1740s, prior to Plassey, Bengal was already struggling with multiple issues including the Zamindari rules, advent of colonial businessmen, epidemics, droughts, but fiercest of them all
was the continuous & heinous attack of Bargi soldiers, their relentless looting of households so much so that even 300 years later, lullabies still mention them. Alivardi was reigning over Bengal when, in seeking revenge, the Orissa Nazim called upon Bargi troops
from Maharashtra under leadership of Bhaskar Pandit to unleash treacherous attacks on Bengal. Bhaskar represented the Bhonsles of Nagpur at the time. Bargi attacks continued for as long as 7 years, and more than 4 lakh Bengalis faced death due to their raids.
It's known that Rabindranath Tagore had been quite a foodie. But it's less talked about poet's keen interest in inventing new dishes, conducting fusion food experiments, which often worked well. Delving into Bard's culinary curiosity 🥄
Regarding weird food inventions most of them came from desserts & mishtis, as Rabindranath often didn’t like repeating the same desserts. As recalled by his son, his instruction led to invention of a totally new variant of Gawja, it came out well. Tagore even named it Paribandha.
The recipe was such a hit that it was soon made in other households of Jorashanko too. Another of Tagore’s brainchildren was Mankochur Jilipi. Yes, sounds strange but based on Tagore's recipe and wife Mrinalini Devi’s skill
🌼 To the Origin of an Idiom, Rathyatra, & More 🛕🌼🧵
Since it's Rathyatra today, let’s talk about a very popular Bengali saying: "রথ দেখা কলা বেচা' (Rath Dekha Kola Becha), which literally translates to seeing the Rath and selling the bananas. Talking about the origin.
It means gaining double benefits from a single opportunity. Now, delving deeper into this phrase, it actually has a connection to an important ritual associated with Rathyatra celebrations.
For instance, in the Rathyatra of Mahesh and Guptipara in Bengal celebrated for over 600 and 400 years respectively and second only to Puri there is a unique tradition where ripe bananas are thrown towards the Rath by housewives and locals as it passes through the streets.
The other Raash 🧵🌼: The Raash season is on, and isn't it surprising that Nabadwip, being one of the core centers for the propagation of Vaishnavite traditions, is famous for its own Shakta Raash instead of Radha-Krishna’s Raash celebrated elsewhere. 1/10
Shakta Raash is associated with the worship of gigantic goddess idols and many unorthodox forms of the goddess, whose worship you won’t commonly see elsewhere. You will find intriguing names like Bhadrakali, Ugrachanda, Ganga, various unorthodox forms of Kali, etc., 2/10
all grand and symmetrical. Nabadwip Raash idols have their own distinctive artistry and backstory not much following the scriptures which makes it special. Tracing back how a purely Vaishnavite festival became linked to hardcore Tantrik and Shakta 3/10