Snakebite is a neglected tropical disease that disproportionately affects poor and rural communities, causing 58,000 deaths annually in India alone. High frequency of human-snake interaction in a highly anthropized environment is a large contributor to this figure. To combat conflict, snake rescue is often used. Rescued snakes are subsequently translocated to a receiver site. However, their movement ecology and longevity are not assessed post-release. Reviews of translocation, mostly in temperate environments, largely concluded that snakes were unsuitable for rescue translocation. These studies concluded that translocation results in aberrant movement patterns, decline in body condition and increased mortality. However, tropical snakes experience differing selection pressures. Translocation research in India has been limited to one king cobra. Given the medical significance of snakebite in India, an understanding of the effect of translocation on more medically impactful snakes would be of immense value. In this study the effect of translocation on male Russell’s vipers (Daboia russelii) is compared to a control group of resident snakes using radiotelemetry. D. russelii are probably the largest contributor to snakebite in India. The effect of environmental (temperature and rainfall) variables was also assessed.

Movement patterns (average daily movement, mean distance per movement, movement frequency and motion variance) and home range estimates (Dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models) were calculated for seven control and seven translocated snakes over the full tracking term and between seasons. No statistical difference was found between translocated and resident snakes apart from in movement frequency and core range. Movement increased between the monsoon and the post-monsoon season, probably as a result of the males’ mate searching. However, limited longevity and body condition data suggests that, though translocation does not obviously impact snakes’ movement patterns, it may influence the health of individuals and their behavioural ecology. No relationship was found between rainfall data and movement patterns. However, movement increased as temperature increased.

If further research demonstrates limited effect on the health and movement ecology of medically important snakes, this will be very positive as translocation is a widely employed tool in conflict resolution and to reduce the impact of snakebite. However, if deleterious effects are found, there is an argument for increased focus on other snakebite prevention strategies e.g. community outreach and provision of protective gear.