Hi Dr.Pankaj, Thanks for your comments and your stated concerns. I think you have overlooked the fact that I am a doctor. This being a scientific forum, have only stated the obvious. By no stretch of imagination can my observations be construed as encouraging people to handle mildly venomous or even any snake for that matter. Regards, Dr. Neil Soares. M.D. [Bom]., D.V.D.
--- On Tue, 10/26/10, Pankaj Kumar <[email protected]> wrote: From: Pankaj Kumar <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:51975] Request for ID - 261010RA1 To: "Neil Soares" <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected], "Rashida Atthar" <[email protected]> Date: Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 10:55 PM Loved the Viper pics. Neil sir, I think we should altogether discourage people by saying that yes this is poisonous and people should stay away from it thought it is not so deadly poisonous. But another fact is, many people die of shock than of venom!!! I remember one of my marathi friend (not in eflora) saw this beautiful snake, caught it and brought it back to home in his backpack TO TAKE PICTURES..... And then he called me up to ask that he found a beautiful snake and I was shocked to see the pictures. I could only shout at him on phone.... In another incident, one of our members, Navendu Page, one Saw Scale Viper jumped on him at Dehradun. Vipers usually attacked very badly so we should avoid it altogether. This concern not only comes as a being part of this group but also from being part of Wildlife Institute of India. Regards Pankaj On Tue, Oct 26, 2010 at 10:46 PM, Neil Soares <[email protected]> wrote: Hi Rashida, The snake is a Bamboo Pit Viper [Trimeresurus gramineus]. It venom is toxic but not potentially lethal for humans. Regards, Neil. --- On Tue, 10/26/10, Rashida Atthar <[email protected]> wrote: From: Rashida Atthar <[email protected]> Subject: [efloraofindia:51952] Request for ID - 261010RA1 To: [email protected] Date: Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 8:25 PM Request ID of this small tree seen flowering at Matheran, Mah. last weekend. Thankyou. Would be nice to get the ID of the Snake Id too, was told it was poisonous! regards, Rashida. -- *********************************************** "TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!" Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae) Research Associate Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project Department of Habitat Ecology Wildlife Institute of India Post Box # 18 Dehradun - 248001, India
