Date:24/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/02/24/stories/2006022417240200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Museum staff dispel myths at lecture-cum-exhibition on snakes

Staff Reporter

Snake paintings exhibited at Children's Museum till February 28

CHENNAI: How many snakes are there in India? How many of them are venomous and how many are non-venomous? What do snakes eat to survive?

J.R. Asokan, Curator, Design and Display Section, Government Museum, was answering these questions at an exhibition of paintings and a lecture on `Snakes.'

Being held by the `Science Popularising Programme Series,' the second lecture and exhibition of the kind had boys from Chintadripet Government School listening keenly to Mr. Asokan as he explained how snake venom is removed from a person bitten by a snake, how only the king cobra and not all snakes build their own nests, and how snakes live in ant hills and rat holes after eating the rat.

Speaking about several of the 2,400 varieties of Indian snakes, he answered students' questions on the food habits of snakes.

"Many snakes such as the king cobra eat other snakes and many a time it takes 15 days for the food to digest," he said.

Mr. Asokan explained how people from the Irula community, who are expert at catching snakes, distract the snake with one hand and catch the reptile with the other.

"Their job is to catch snakes and collect venom for supply through co-operatives that prepare anti-venom (serum)," he noted.

The exhibition of snake paintings done by the museum staff will be on at the Children's Museum up to February 28 from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

The Museum staff has offered to conduct the lecture demonstrations on snakes, endangered species, evolution of life and of human beings, and other academically related topics for students in the 14 to 16 age group.

Schools can call 2819 3238 and 2819 3778 for details regarding the programmes.