A rare white-coloured common krait, locally known as kalach, was rescued from a mud house in Bagnan, Howrah, amid heavy monsoon conditions that have left several areas waterlogged.
Local family spots snake during night
The incident took place at Bantul village under Bagnan-II block. Sanjib Pramanik spotted the white snake moving across the floor of his mud house at night. Alarmed by the sight, he immediately informed Sabuj Dolui, a member of the Wildlife Environment Savior Trust.
Locals gather to see rare snake
Dolui arrived at the house and safely contained the snake before informing the trust’s snake rescue team. As news of the unusual snake spread, several local residents gathered outside the house to catch a glimpse of it.
Trust members Chitrak Pramanik, Sumanta Das and Arghya Mallik subsequently reached the spot. After examining the snake, they identified it as a leucistic common krait, rather than an ordinary common krait. The rescuers carefully captured the snake and placed it in a jar.
White krait sightings remain extremely rare
The team also searched different parts of Sanjib Pramanik’s mud house to check whether any other venomous snakes were present.
Following the rescue, members of the Wildlife Environment Savior Trust conducted an awareness drive among residents in the area. They advised people to remain cautious about snakebites during the monsoon and shared preventive measures to reduce the risk of encounters with venomous snakes.
What makes the snake unusual?
According to trust member Chitrak Pramanik, the common krait is among the most venomous snakes found in West Bengal and India. However, sightings of a white common krait are extremely rare.
Pramanik said the rescued snake is a leucistic common krait, a condition caused by a genetic mutation known as leucism. In leucistic animals, reduced pigmentation can make the skin, fur or feathers appear white or unusually pale, while the eyes generally retain their normal dark colour.
He explained that this differs from albinism, where pigmentation is absent, and the colour of the eyes can also be affected. There have been a few earlier instances of white common kraits being found in Howrah and elsewhere in West Bengal.
