By Richa P
A few weeks ago, it rained in Bengaluru for several days. Returning home one evening during the wet spell, I heard a commotion in our back garden. Wondering what was causing such a ruckus, I headed out only to find something that looked like a tiny black worm at the centre of a circle of people. When I wondered what the fuss was about, my mother informed me that what I was looking at wasn’t a harmless worm, but a baby snake.
The Brahminy snake is so tiny it is often mistaken for a worm. Photo: Richa P.
Snakes tend to cause mothers a lot of worry. My mum is a bit superstitious, so even though snakes are considered an avatar of god, a visit home by one of them isn’t considered too auspicious. In fact, it can indicate the coming of a long period of bad luck. Several rules govern the visit: You cannot kill the snake, but you may offer it milk.
While my mother figured out what to do, I sent a photo of the little critter to a naturalist friend who told me that our visitor is called a Brahminy snake. These snakes are blind, and often visit gardens with a healthy ecosystem after a spell of rain.
So, the next time you see a thin black ‘worm’ wriggling about in your garden after the rains, do give it a second look. Who knows what you might find!
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