Today is Nag Panchami, a festival that worships snakes in India. The conventional way to worship snakes is by feeding them milk. But did you know that feeding milk to snakes might kill them? That too in a painful manner. The Science Behind ItSnakes are reptiles that hunt and eat meat, mostly rodents, birds, and other small animals. Snakes lack the enzymes required to break down lactose, the sugar present in milk, in contrast to mammals. As a result, forcing milk into a snake's digestive system might cause serious problems. In fact, snakes are lactose intolerant, experts say that snakes fed milk may experience bloating, indigestion, and dehydration. In extreme cases, this can lead to the death of the snake. Forest departments and wildlife experts have issued numerous warnings against this practice. For instance, in 2017 the Thane, Maharashtra, forest department issued a warning saying that giving milk to snakes is not only against nature but can be lethal. The department emphasised that these acts of devotion are cruel because they cause needless agony for the snakes. Misconceptions and MythsThe idea that snakes consume milk is among the most widespread misconceptions about them. Stories from culture and religion that show snakes sipping milk tend to perpetuate this false idea. But milk isn't something that snakes look for to eat. Their action when dehydrated is not what is meant to be understood by the idea that they consume milk. A snake may swallow any liquid that is presented to it if it is extremely dehydrated, but this is a desperate move and does not mean that milk is a good food source for snakes. Wildlife experts emphasise that these customs are not grounded in science, but rather in superstition. These actions hurt snakes and spread unwarranted fear and false information about these reptiles, according to the staff at Wildlife SOS, an organization devoted to the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife. Awareness and EducationRaising awareness and promoting education is crucial to stopping the dangerous habit of feeding milk to snakes. By dispelling the misconceptions about snakes and advancing knowledge of their nutritional requirements, we can help prevent needless injury to these reptiles. If you are reading this, then you can spread this information to people you know who might follow this custom. This is how awareness works. It is important to understand that, even while cultural customs are very important to us, they must change in tandem with scientific advancements to prevent harm from being done to the same creatures we wish to respect.
Email
Google
Facebook Email Google Facebook