Badami (Bagalkot district): The Indian smooth snake, a rare species endemic to India, has been sighted in Badami of Bagalkot district.Badami range forest officer Mahesh Marennavar said he spotted the snake near Hamsanur while driving to clear an encroachment. The sighting was accidental. He stopped his vehicle when he saw the snake crossing the road and photographed it.Marennavar said the species is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and is usually found in open fields, grasslands and forested areas. Its range includes Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The snake was last sighted in Karnataka near Shiraguppa in Ballari district in 2022, he said.Harshal Patel of NGO Wildlife Foundation said Wallophis brachyura, commonly called the Indian Smooth Snake or suvaro saap, is a rare and harmless member of the Colubridae family.Marennavar said the non-venomous snake can grow up to one metre and is identified by its smooth, shiny scales and light brown to grey colour with subtle darker patterns that aid camouflage. He said the species preys on small rodents and lizards by constriction, making sightings in the wild uncommon.
