HYDERABAD: More than half of 55,467 snakes rescued in Hyderabad and its periphery between 2013 and 2022 were venomous, according to a peer-reviewed decadal analysis published in Global Ecology and Conservation. The spectacled cobra and Indian rat snake together accounted for nearly 76% of all rescues recorded across the city and Outer Ring Road areas.

Researchers mapped 3,379 grids covering Hyderabad and peripheral zones and identified 232 grids, or 6.90%, as significant snake-rescue hotspots. These clusters are concentrated in rapidly urbanizing eastern corridors, reflecting increased human–snake conflict as built-up areas expand into natural habitats.

The study, titled “Urban snake ecology revealed through the lens of decadal data on snake rescues in a megacity,” is authored by Avinash C. Visvanathan and others from Friends of Snakes Society, Hyderabad, in collaboration with CSIR-CCMB LaCONES. It draws on standardized rescue records to quantify species composition and spatial risk across a major Indian megacity.

Authors will share the hotspot database with Hyderabad authorities to guide targeted awareness drives and rapid-response planning. The paper recommends integrating rescue-trend analytics into urban planning and public-health protocols as the city continues to expand along its eastern fringe.