51�Թ�

Tamil Nadu has high numbers of four venomous snakes whose bites can seriously affect humans: the spectacled cobra, the Russell's viper, the saw-scaled viper and the common krait.

In India, horses are injected with a cocktail of venoms from Russell's viper, the saw-scaled viper, the spectacled cobra and the common krait, sourced exclusively from snakes in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

In developing countries struggling to cope with HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases, the problem posed by growing numbers of bites by venomous snakes – examples include the carpet viper and the spectacled cobra – is particularly unwelcome.

Its temperament seems to be sanguine, which is just the opposite of the nervous-combative hooded and spectacled cobra species.