Published : 05 Nov 2026, 11:02 AM
Updated : 05 Nov 2026, 11:02 AM
Three unusually coloured snakes, including two albino checkered keelbacks and an albino monocled cobra, have been rescued in Dhaka, Chattogram and Panchagarh in the span of eight days.
Their bodies appear yellowish, white or pale pink, drawing attention on social media.
Experts say the colour changes result from a lack of melanin, a pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their colour.
The genetic condition does not affect whether a snake is venomous or non-venomous.
The unusual colouring, however, can make albino snakes easier prey in the wild.
On Oct 27, locals injured a snake with a spear in a pond in Haldiapukur in Moidandighi Union of Panchagarh’s Boda Upazila.
A young man, identified only as Emon, rescued it and handed it to Md Sahidul Islam, founder and president of the Wildlife and Snake Rescue Team in Bangladesh (WSRTBD), who is now treating the snake.
Sahidul told bdnews24.com that it was the first albino checkered keelback rescued in Panchagarh.
His team has rescued five albino snakes across the country since 2020, most of them checkered keelbacks.
It has also recently rescued an albino monocled cobra, an albino spotted keelback and a leucistic checkered keelback in Feni.
On Nov 1, the team rescued an albino monocled cobra in Dhaka’s Demra. Two days later, its members recovered another albino checkered keelback from a house in Chornelhat, Chattogram.
Naimul Islam Niloy, the team’s joint secretary and Chattogram representative, said the snake was being kept for initial treatment and observation before its release into the wild.
Unusual Colours Pose Risks
Albinism is a genetic condition caused by a lack of melanin, the pigment that gives animals their colour.
Mohammad Farid Ahsan, a supernumerary professor of zoology at Chittagong University, said the condition occurs naturally in humans and other animals.
Mizanur Rahman, an associate researcher at the Venom Research Centre of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said a complete lack of melanin makes animals white, while partial deficiency can produce pink, red or yellowish-white shades.
He urged people not to panic or harm snakes with unusual colouring.
The rescued checkered keelbacks have yellow and white patches with brown eyes, while the monocled cobra has pale pink skin and reddish eyes.
Niloy said their unusual colours make camouflage harder, leaving them more vulnerable to predators.
Albino Snakes Used to Be Here
Mizanur said albino snakes have long existed in Bangladesh, but social media and wildlife rescue groups have brought more attention to recent sightings.
Albinism does not change a snake’s species or venom status: venomous snakes remain venomous, while non-venomous ones remain harmless, he said.
Changes in species characteristics require alterations in several genes over a much longer period, he added.
