It is totally erroneous to believe that snakebites can be cured by mantras, ,magic spells, roots and herbs. Do you know that in our country about 10,000 people die every year playing fools to such beliefs? Anti-Venom is the only cure for a bite from a poisonous snake. The other remedies are useful to relieve fear and treat shock, but should never be substituted for or interfere with the anti-venom treatment. Snakebites are cured only when timely treatment is rendered to the patient. Mantriks casting spells, using snake stones to suck out the venom, Naagveli, kinds of oil, ash etc. are all futile. The snake stone is merely a benzoin or a gall stone, and has no effect on the venomous bite.

There is no scientific basis to this. A snake's brain is not developed to the extent of retaining memory. It is said that if you kill a snake, another (its mate) will follow you and take revenge. That, of course is wrong, but may have some basis in fact.
When you kill a snake it expels its musk from the anal opening; it is very possible that a nearby snake may show up to investigate what the musk (a sex - attractant) is all about.

This is a common misbelief. Old crumbling houses, 'wadas' are ideal for snakes as they find plenty of hiding places together with rats and mice. In the days of yore, people often buried their wealth and it could be a possibility that a snake and the hidden wealth were unearthed together, giving this impression.

Hair does not grow on snakes. Periodically snakes cast of moult and if some moult remains, it appears like hair. Sometimes some snake charmers even stick hair onto the snake's head.

This is believed to be so because snakes stare fixedly as they do not have eyelids and cannot blink.

This misbelief has been strengthened by our ever popular but ludicrous Hindi films. Even though it is now proven that they can detect some airborne sounds, there is no evidence that snakes can appreciate music. Snakes are said to dance to music. While playing the flute, the snake charmer sways and the snake moves to the swaying movement. It is the natural instinct of the snake to keep a close track of any moving object. In fact they instinctively stay away from artificial vibrations. The music of the snake-charmers only serves to charm the audience.

Cobras, particularly the king cobra, are supposed to wear a 'nagmani' that makes one a millionaire. The poor Irula tribal snake-catcher has a good answer to the legend of the jewel or light in the head of the snake. When asked about this belief, an Irula will reply, " if it was so we would be rajas not snake-catchers."

This is not true. Milk is not part of a snake's natural diet. Where they would find it in nature, how they would obtain it with no powers of suction and with over hundred sharp teeth in the way, and of what nutritional value a few spoonfuls of milk would be to a snake, are questions that should be considered.

The blotches on the skin of the sand boa have given rise to this notion. Since this harmless snake has a body pattern that vaguely resembles that of patients suffering from this dreaded disease, people are quick to make this association. Actually, snakes are clean and free of disease.

The vine (common green whip) snake is accused of poking one's eyes out or `stinging' one on the forehead. Actually, the pointed nose of this harmless snake is soft and rubbery. The vine snake can inflict a painful (but harmless) bite on the finger or even on the nose, but no one has ever received an eye injury.

This is an unproven statement.

This is an unproven statement.

The tails of rat snakes, despite various stories about them, are no more dangerous then pieces of rope and so not have stingers, do not suffocate cows, lash down paddy and so on.

Bites by a snake with rings on its body, does not give the victim's body a ringed pattern.

In North Western India, kraits are supposed to suck a man's breath away as he sleeps. This is perhaps the farmer-labourer's explanation for the respiratory paralysis that a severe krait-bite brings on.

In Maharashtra, the little earth bound saw scaled vipers are believed to jump through the air for six feet or more. Six inches would be more accurate.

The red sand boa has an extremely blunt tail; thus there are several popular stories about `two headed snakes'. Just as it fools the mongoose and other predators into attacking its tail while the head seeks escape, a large percentage of humans are also fooled.

This is not true.

This is not true. Snakes use their tails as whips.

This is not true. Pythons kill their prey by encircling them and crushing them to death with the sheer weight of their body.