International Science Community Association International Research Journal of Biological Sciences 2278-3202 8 10 2019 10 10 A baseline assessment, threats and conservation measures to ophidians at Rukhi Hill Forest, Nayagarh, Odisha, India 48 51 EN Pradeep Kumar 1 Department of Physics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India Arti Choudhary 2 Transport Planning and Environment Division, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi, India Rajendra Prasad 3 Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India Dileep Kumar Gupta 4 Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India Meenakshi Amarawat 5 Department of Botany, Bhupal Noble′s University Udaipur, India Gaurav Shukla 6 Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India Abhay Kumar Singh 7 Department of Physics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India Meenakshi Amarawat 1 Department of Botany, Bhupal Noble′s University Udaipur 313001, India Pradeep Kumar 2 Department of Physics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi 221005, India M.S. Rathore 3 Department of Botany, Bhupal Noble′s University Udaipur 313001, India Omorodion Nnenna 1 Department of Microbiology, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B 5323, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigrria Nwala Chinyere 2 Department of Microbiology, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B 5323, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigrria Sonali Sasmal 1 Department of Chemistry, School of Applied Sciences, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, India Arun Kumar Pradhan 2 Department of Chemistry, School of Applied Sciences, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, India Susanta Kumar Biswal 3 Department of Chemistry, School of Applied Sciences, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, India Atia Arzoo 4 Department of Environmental Science, School of Applied Sciences, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, India Rohit S. Mane 1 Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Karnatak University, Dharwad, Karnataka, India and Department of Life Sciences, Mandsaur University, Mandsaur, M.P. India Priyanka R. Jagtap 2 Department of Microbiology, New arts, Commerce and Science College, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India Manoj A. Vyawahare 3 Department of Microbiology, New arts, Commerce and Science College, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India Amarja H. Bhosale 4 Department of Microbiology, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathawada University, Sub-Campus Osmanabad, Maharashtra, India Vishrut V. Ghare 5 Department of Microbiology, S.B.B Alias Appasaheb Jedhe College of Arts, Commerce & Science, Pune, India Bidhayak Chakraborty 6 Department of Botany, Karnatak University, Dharwad, Karnataka Pyonim Lungphi 1 Department of Botany, Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India Sinjini Mondal 2 Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, India Saurav Moktan 3 Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, India A.P. Das 4 Department of Botany, Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India Laxmi Prasad Rath 1 Department of Zoology, School of Applied Sciences, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar, India Siba Prasad Parida 2 Department of Zoology, School of Applied Sciences, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar, India > Short Communication 2019 4 18 2019 10 10 A study has been conducted to know the diversity and threats to ophidians of Rukhi Hill Forest from June 2018 to March 2019. Standard methodologies were applied for the assessment. Visual encounter Survey was taken for the data collection. The snakes were handled by Snake sticks and hooks, and Photographs were taken for better identification. The snakes were identified by matching photos with the field guide book. After spontaneous field study 14 species (out of which only 5 species are poisonous) were encountered from the hill forest. The study comprised of 4 families and 12 genera. Then the species were marked with IUCN Redlist Category. Major causes of declination of snake diversity are continuous forest fire causing habitat loss, climate change, illegal expansion of urban area etc. By awareness and lawful action, the depletion of biodiversity may be check which is important for future generation. Otherwise total ecology may disrupt, and endemic species of this area may be vanished. Copyright@ International Science Community Association