A few months ago, a random glance toward the roof from outside the house led to a surprising discovery. Tucked away in the roof rafters was what I initially thought was a piece of string. Looking closer, though, there was no mistaking it: a Beddome’s Cat Snake (Boiga beddomei) taking a quiet afternoon break.
With its unique vertical pupils and light brown color, it sat still, resting high above the ground. Spotting one in daylight was special. This species is found only in the Northern Western Ghats—especially in Bhimashankar, Mulshi, and Koyna—and they mostly stay off the ground, blending in with trees or high structures.
Why We Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Snakes
Finding a snake near where you live or stay can trigger an automatic panic response, but encounters like this show why fear is usually unnecessary:
Once you identify it, you will find that most of them are non-venomous. In the case of this Beddome’s Cat Snake, it was harmless so we let it be there.
- They are completely non-aggressive: Cat snakes are nocturnal hunters. During the day, they just want to be left alone to conserve energy.
- Virtually harmless to humans: While they are mildly venomous, they are rear-fanged. Their venom is specialized for small prey like geckos, lizards, and frogs—not humans.
- Crucial ecosystem regulators: Snakes act as natural pest control. They balance local wildlife populations and keep ecosystems healthy. In my opinion, House Geckos are more of a menace near the house and this snake is perfect to control their population!
Instead of viewing snakes as a threat, understanding their behavior helps us coexist peacefully and appreciate the rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats. While any snake inside a living area should be safely relocated, a harmless neighbor resting on an outside roof is often best left alone to do its job.
If you’d like to see the photographs and the full observation, you can find it on iNaturalist here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/370326021.
Photographs by Shree Dave
Leave a Reply