Monsoon flooding in eastern India set the stage for a frightening encounter when a rare white common krait turned up on the floor of a family's mud house.
Locally called a kalach, the unusually pale snake was later identified as a leucistic common krait, a rare sighting of one of West Bengal's most venomous snakes.
Rising floodwaters and habitat disruption often push snakes toward higher, drier ground, including homes, making encounters like this one more likely during the monsoon season.
Here's what to know
According to Bhaskar English, the snake was found in Bantul village in the Bagnan-II block of Howrah district, where resident Sanjib Pramanik spotted it inside his house one night.
Pramanik then contacted Sabuj Dolui of the Wildlife Environment Savior Trust, and Dolui kept the snake secure until the rescue team arrived.
When trust members Chitrak Pramanik, Sumanta Das, and Arghya Mallik examined the snake, they determined it was a leucistic specimen, not the species' usual dark coloring. They then placed the animal in a jar.
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Pramanik said the snake's white color came from leucism, a genetic mutation that lessens pigmentation and can leave an animal looking white or very pale while its eyes usually stay dark. He added that albinism is different because it involves a full absence of pigmentation and can affect eye color too.
Rescuers also checked other areas of the mud house to see whether any additional venomous snakes were there.
More background
Pramanik said the common krait ranks among the most dangerous snakes found in West Bengal and India.
He also said white common kraits are very rarely seen, though a small number of cases have been recorded in Howrah and other parts of West Bengal.
Encounters between people and venomous wildlife often increase during heavy monsoon rains, since flooding and waterlogging drive snakes out of their usual burrows and into homes and other populated areas in search of dry shelter.
What's being done?
Bhaskar English reported that after the rescue, the Wildlife Environment Savior Trust ran an awareness campaign in the area focused on the danger of monsoon snakebites.
Residents were given guidance to reduce the chances of running into venomous snakes.
By acting quickly, Dolui helped keep the snake safely contained until other team members reached the house.
Where can I learn more?
Reports from around India show how often monsoon conditions drive venomous snakes into homes and neighborhoods. They include encounters in family houses, washing machines, and water tanks.
• In Delhi, snakes invade local communities as monsoon conditions push them into neighborhoods.
• In India, a snake in a washing machine bit two people and sparked hospital panic.
• In Telangana, an Indian cobra found inside a grandparents' house was bagged for relocation.
• In Haridwar, 27 baby snakes turned up in a household water tank.
• In Kota, cobras turn up in two homes, including one beside ladoos.
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