Snake Diversity, Habitat Distribution and Conservation Challenges in Uttar Pradesh, India: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59436/jsiane.v6i2.13.2583-2093Keywords:
Snake diversity; Habitat distribution; Conservation; Human–snake conflict; Uttar Pradesh; Reptile ecology; Systematic review.Abstract
Snakes represent an important ecological aspect in both the terrestrial and aquatic environment by being predators and also prey species, controlling the population of rodents, amphibians, reptiles, and other vertebrates. India has one of the richest snake faunas, with over 320 species of snakes recorded, among which one-fifth are venomous. Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India and has a variety of ecosystems like the Terai forests, Gangetic floodplains, wetlands, agricultural land, grasslands, ravines, and urban habitats. This diversity of ecosystems brings in many different snake species, but the available literature is very disorganized regarding the distribution of snakes in these ecosystems and other aspects. To address the research gap in this area, systematic review examines the collected literature on snake diversity and distribution from 2000-2025. It uses peer-reviewed journal articles, books, government data, and websites. The review discusses the species richness of the snakes in different ecological regions, habitat-specific distribution of snakes, various environmental changes, major threats, and the conservation works by the government. According to the recent literature, agriculture orientation, habitat degradation, wetland loss, urbanization, road kills, illegal trade, climate change, and human-snake interactions, are some of the prime causes responsible for the decline of snakes in the state. Although snakes in the protected areas such as Dudhwa National Park, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve are stable, knowledge regarding the snakes in central and western Uttar Pradesh is limited. The review gives various suggestions regarding future ecologic research.
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