According to Whitaker, habitat loss was the gravest threat to snakes. “This is especially true for snake species dependent on intact rainforest,” he said.

Other threats facing snakes today include climate change, disease and of course, human antagonism.

Experts also agree that there are many more species of snakes waiting to be discovered.

“There are over 3,500 species of snakes in the world and more being described right now. In the past couple of years, 20 new species have been added to India’s list,” Whitaker said.

I’ve seen a bunch of people lynching a snake to death. I pleaded with them to not kill it. They asked me to rescue it then. I genuinely tried but was scared when it hissed at me. The snake was eventually killed but the experience was very haunting. I wondered who the villains here are – humans or the snakes! I then decided I should never let another snake die again in my life. It all started there.