Russell's Viper

The Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) is a very well-known snake in India and Sri Lanka which, due to its venomous bite, is responsible for many deaths. The animals can often be found around villages and farmland, where there is the highest occurrence of food such as mice and rats. Still, the species is declining and moving to other areas. This information in particular is desperately needed to preserve the species and to prevent snakebites.

A shy animal like the Russell’s viper is very difficult to investigate. Therefore, it was decided to equip some animals with transmitters that can be followed with a radio signal. In this way we hope to learn more about the behavior of these animals.
The Herpetofauna Foundation contributed to cameras and other fieldwork materials needed for this research.