I can remember only one instance when Rom let me walk ahead of him in a forest. That was more than a decade ago in Havelock, Andaman Islands. It was mid-morning when I came upon a green snake on the path and I exclaimed, “Look!” Rom ordered urgently, “Catch it.” But by that time, the snake had whizzed past. A few minutes later, there was another snake on the path and I couldn't help myself. “Look,” I cried. An exasperated Rom demanded, “Instead of saying “Look,” why can't you jump on it first? I can always ‘look' later.”

Leaping on snakes is not hardwired into my reflexes and I was defensive. “Why do you have to go after every snake you see?” I demanded. “Can't you just watch it? Do tiger people catch every tiger they see?” He replied, “It's impossible to watch snakes like you would mammals. And the only way to identify the species is to catch and examine it.”

That's true. Many species look identical, while some species come in a range of colours and patterns. Hence herpetologists (those who study reptiles) do not usually trust the looks of a snake. If anyone had the temerity to describe, “I saw a brown snake with bands,” the experts would retort disdainfully, “There are so many; what's the scalation?”