Snake diversity based on rescue records in urban Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10431.18.9.29630-29638

Keywords:

Citizen-derived data, human-snake interaction, Naja naja, snakes checklist, urban biodiversity, urban herpetofauna, urban ecology, wildlife conservation

Abstract

We documented the snakes of Jaipur City, Rajasthan, India, using rescue records generated through a structured volunteer network, comprising primary data collected between January 2024 and October 2025, supplemented by historical records. A total of 787 primary rescue events along with past records (before January 2024), yielded records of 21 snake species across six families, including three venomous and 18 non-venomous taxa. Rescue records were dominated by Naja naja (65.4% of all rescues), while other frequently recorded species included Platyceps ventromaculatus and Spalerosophis atriceps. In contrast, fossorial taxa such as Indotyphlops braminus and Pseudoindotyphlops porrectus were rarely encountered. In addition to confirmed records, the study identifies five species whose occurrence in Jaipur is considered plausible based on regional distribution patterns and habitat continuity. Findings are interpreted as occurrence records and baseline diversity data rather than estimates of abundance.

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26-09-2026

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