When born, the babies are inches long. Valsad, India: THESE INCREDIBLE images capture a rare site of a snake giving birth, multiple tails extendin
When born, the babies are inches long. Valsad, India: THESE INCREDIBLE images capture a rare site of a snake giving birth, multiple tails extending from its body as the babies take their first breath. One image shows a bamboo pit viper giving birth to several babies whilst balancing on bamboo branches for support. The bamboo pit viper usually gives birth to between six to 11 young, measuring inches long at birth. Fully grown, the adult bamboo pit viper measures up to 39 inches long. These images were captured by student and photographer Aadit Shailesh Patel in the forest of South Gujarat in Valsad, India using a Nikon D5600 camera. ?During a herping trip in the forest of South Gujarat, I observed a gravid Bamboo Pit Viper about three feet above ground coiled on some fallen branches,? said Aadit. ?When I approached the snake, I noticed some movement in the belly. ?After eight to ten minutes the viper started to move, it gently lifted the tail and started to move its belly in order to push the babies. ?And finally, the first baby appeared, it was covered in fluids, by opening its mouth it adjusted the jaws. It clung on a nearby branch, as it started climbing it rubbed its body against the branches to get rid of the fluids. ?It gave birth to a litter of thirteen which took almost two Bamboo pit vipers are the most common and widely dispersed pit viper in India and contain hemotoxic venom. This destroys the red blood sells in the body, causing internal bleeding, paralysis, unconsciousness and loss of limbs. The bite of the bamboo pit viper is extremely dangerous and could kill a human being. As well as photographing wildlife, Aadit helps to rescue wildlife with his mother. Working with Valsad-SPCA, Aadit has rescued over 2,000 reptiles birds and mammals from difficult situations. ?I love that shots like this provide information about their ecology, behaviour, and habitat, which helps in their conservation,? said Aadit. ?While photographing such natural h
Size: 6000px × 4000px
Photo credit: © Media Drum World / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: birth, india, nature, photography, snake, viper, wildlife