The number of deaths caused by snakebites in the country has reached nearly epidemic proportions therefore there is a need for setting up a multi-state cooperative for extracting snake venom, said renowned herpetologist Romulus Whitaker.

Whitaker, who was instrumental in setting up the Irula Snake-Catchers Industrial Cooperative Society (ISCICS) in Tamil Nadu, pointed out the drawbacks in the present system of venom collection.

"There is a lot of variation in venom. The same snake, the Russell's viper is found in four corners of India, but its venom composition varies according to where it is found. But the anti-venom produced from a Russell's viper in Tamil Nadu may not be good enough for a person bitten by a Russell's viper in West Bengal or Punjab," Whitaker told TOI.

The new milestone is important because it means reptiles are as diverse as birds, which are generally considered to include around 10,000 species. Uetz predicts that reptiles will soon surpass birds given the rate of recent discoveries, making it the second-largest vertebrate group after fish which contains over 32,000 species.

Globally, there are around 5,500 mammal species and 6,400 amphibians currently.

But despite being among the most diverse vertebrate groups, reptiles are largely unrepresented by the IUCN Red List, which determines whether or not a species is endangered. Approximately all mammals and birds have been evaluated by the IUCN, and over 90 percent of amphibians have been evaluated. In contrast, only 43 percent of reptiles have been evaluated (the number is even worse for fish sitting at 35 percent).

Snapping turtles originally come from the Americas, but turned up in Japan as pets in the 1960s, Kyodo news agency reports. Some turtles must have escaped to the wild, as there were an estimated 1,000 turtles roaming the Chiba Prefecture 10 years ago. The turtles have been classed in Japan as an invasive species and are eating up fish, bird and weed stocks, and chewing their way through fishermen's nets.

Fire personnel at the scene rushed to aid Espinosa when they "discovered a small ball python snake wrapped around the defendant's neck," which they promptly removed and secured, according to the police report.

"Third Precinct officers responded and determined Espinosa had stolen the snake from [a Garden City] PETCO," according to the report, which also stated that Espinosa was in possession of marijuana at the time of the accident. The snake is sold at Petco for $89, a store employee said.

Espinosa was treated and released from a hospital, and the snake was returned to its home at the store, police said.

The roaming reptile, named Clark, was reunited with its human family on Sunday after it was spotted near the intersection of Sixth Street and Norwood Place, in the southeastern part of the city, at around 1 p.m. Saturday and retrieved by police.

Someone cornered Clark until officers arrived, Alhambra Police Department Sgt. Esther Rodriguez told ABC News in a Sunday interview.

"Since he was kind of heavy, two officers picked him up, put him in our trunk and transported him to our station," where he was placed in a kennel until Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control arrived shortly afterward, Rodriguez said.

Tip 1: Avoid pesticides

Slug bait is harmful to snakes, other wildlife, children and pets!

Tip 2: Imitate nature

Avoid monocultures of plants that are planted in straight lines.

Tip 3: Use stones

Move objects like stones and slate carefully. They may be providing cover for your snake friends.

Reticulated pythons are the longest snake species in the world.

So it took a team of eight handlers to hold the snake in order that it could be examined.

The huge reptile, named JF, is thought to be one of the biggest snakes in Europe - at 7m (23 feet) long, and weighing approximately 60kgs.

As well as ensuring the snake is healthy, the check-up was part of a cardiological research study.