AT RISK!
Saevus|June - August 2022
Albinism among species everywhere, places them at risk from predators and humans. The author speaks of his experience with an albino banded krait.
CHANDAN CLEMENT SINGH
AT RISK!

Taxonomists and biologists have described and classified 1.7 million plants and animals as of 2010. This is considered less than one-quarter of the total species estimated in the world.

Sometimes we come across an animal that looks new because of its shape and colour; Albino animals, for example. Albinos lack melanin pigment so they are either totally pink/white (complete albinism) or paler than their normal colour (incomplete albinism). These are not new species but a colour variant of a species. I found such an individual of Banded Krait on the bank of the river Saraswati, at Korolla near Bandel, West Bengal. It was rescued from a trap-net spread over the banks of the river. It was found injured when rescued. I took the snake to my house to get it treated and release it into its natural habitat after it was restored to health. The Sundarbans, so far a safe natural haven for the banded krait have been witnessing a sharp and rapid decline in their numbers owing to insensible urbanisation and illegal encroachment of land and irregular constructions.

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