







(it
doesn't need to be poisonous) and nocturnal, it strangulates its prey and then
swallows it. You can carry out a guessing game by trying to guess its last meal
from the size of its stomach bulge. Feeds on mammals, birds and reptiles indiscriminately
but seems to prefer mammals. Loves to eat Langurs and can even swallow Chitals.
Its stomach contents are recorded to have swallowed even the leopard. Look out
for it near the numerous streams and waterholes that Tala range is so generously
endowed with.
Forms its hood by spreading the cervical ribs of the neck region and is deadly
poisonous. It spreads its hood, makes a hissing sound and raises its head when
alarmed. It is frequently found in or near water and is a strong swimmer. Eclectic
in habit and absent in deserts and hills above 1800 m., it is usually not aggressive;
the young-ones though, are much more dangerous than adults, being more easily
excited and prone to attack. Feeds mostly on rats, frogs, toads and is an invetarate
egg-stealer. Cobra bite is not always fatal, cases of recovery equaling, if
not exceeding, cases of death.
And
that is not all There are other equally interesting animals in the Park although
sighted rarely due to their shy and nocturnal habits. The Jungle cat, the Ratel,
the Honey badger, the ant-eating pangolin, the porcupine (number of needles
go up to 30,000!), the Palm civet, the small Indian civet, the toddy cat, the
hare, the squirrels, the shrews, the mouses - just to name a few. There are
five species of bats reported - the fulvous fruit bat, the Indian pipestrelle,
the flying fox, the eastern horseshoe bat and the false vampire. Two turtles
namely the softshell turtle and the flapshell turtle and larger lizards like
the Fat-tailed Gecko, the Indian Monitor and the Forest Calotes are also seen
quite easily. The common mongoose and the Ruddy mongoose do keep making regular
appearances.