A Wolf Called by

It was lunch time at Office; saw my sister’s name flashing on my mobile. Was quite intrigued since she called at that time. Oh! Forgot to mention, my father and sister were staying with me then, leaving them alone at home in a completely new place, I tend to be worried at office. Finding her call increased that to some extent. I fretfully took it, my sister increasing my anxiety, calmly asked me if I could ask if I could come home?? The reason for my sudden need at home was a snake that got into my bed room! Asked my sister to watch over it but not disturb as I rushed home in excitement. More so because it’s been a while I had any encounter with any wild creature and snakes, I just love them!

The Common Wolf Snake

On reaching home, I found the snake coiled around a wooden Owl, which I had kept over an electric switch board! How ironic, I asked myself, a snake curled itself to an owl to escape from humans! I carefully removed the owl along with the snake to have a proper look at it. It was a juvenile almost 1.5 ft. long Common Wolf Snake (Lycodon aulicus). A strictly nocturnal snake found almost all over India in around stone piles, caves, tree hollows and of course houses! And they do climb vertical walls with ease, though my father didn’t believe me and speculated how it could reach there?! March - April, it was just the right time for their hatchlings to come out. True to its nature as soon as I put it on the ground, it started to move in every possible direction by springing itself anxiously. Another characteristic of Common Wolf snakes is, they bite viciously (well, it looks that way) when handled and that one didn’t disappoint me! It was an angry young wolf snake. I took it up to inspect for wounds and to photograph. It was hefty and well. Since my half hour lunch break was almost getting over, I bagged the snake after taking some photographs and left. Released it in a forest nearby on my way office.

The Wolf (snake) and Me!

On my subsequent night walks I did see more common wolf snake offspring of the same size whooshing pass me! Those made me believe that one or more Wolf snake adults must have had a successful breeding season which resulted in such sightings! So that’s how a snake paid me a visit at lunch and am happy and always ready to receive more such guests!