Hosur (Karnataka): A captured Russell’s Viper (Daboia) under observation for the last two days has given birth to 35 young ones in a single litter at the District Livestock Farm at Hosur in the Karnataka state of India.
D. Saravanan, Head of the Embryo Transfer Laboratory of the District Livestock Farm, who has been authorized by the Forest Department to rescue snakes, said that the Russell’s Viper was captured from a nearby residential area.
On viewing its uneasiness nature, it was kept under observation.
The process of giving birth to young ones by the Russell’s Viper lasted for nearly five hours. Dr Saravanan said that the mother as well as its offsprings would be released into the forest by next week.
Other snakes lay eggs and hatch them, while Russell’s Viper gives birth to young ones by hatching the same from the body itself.
Hence, they belong to viviparous species.
Russell’s vipers are used to give birth to a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 40 offsprings in a litter.
Reports indicate that Russell’s Viper had so far given birth to a maximum of 65 little ones.

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