Snakes beware: reptiles targeted across Bangladesh after rise in sightings of Russell's viper

Misinformation and online rumours stoke fear of the venomous species, which has led to snakes being killed indiscriminately, warn conservationistsAmin Mandol was harvesting peanuts from a char - a bank of sand and silt - in the Padma, the lower part of the Ganges, when he heard the scream. While pulling up some roots, one of his workers had encountered a snake coiled among the plants. Other workers rushed over and beat the Russell's viper to death.Mandol still had several hectares of groundnuts to harvest before the land was submerged by the river after the monsoon rains. But fearing there were more snakes, the workers refused to continue, leaving the fields to the rising waters. Continue reading...