Urban snake ecology revealed through the lens of decadal data on snake rescues in a megacity

Rapid urbanization in tropical and sub-tropical cities has driven habitat loss and intensified human–wildlife conflict, particularly involving snakes. In the absence of apex predators, snakes function as mesopredators and play important ecological roles in urban ecosystems. Yet, the ecological drivers and spatiotemporal patterns of snake encounters in rapidly growing Indian cities remain poorly understood. We analyzed 55,467 snake rescue records (from 2013 to 2022) from Hyderabad, India, to identify spatiotemporal and abiotic drivers of human-snake encounters. Records included species identity, location, and time of rescue. Diel activity patterns were modeled using two-component Weibull distributions, seasonal trends were examined across species, weather influences were assessed using generalized additive models with 3-hourly meteorological data, spatial clustering was evaluated using Emerging Hot Spot Analysis in ArcGIS, and future rescue trends were forecast using SARIMA models. Rescues increased by 16.90% over ten years. Two species— Naja naja and Ptyas mucosa —accounted for 76% of rescues. Encounters peaked during the monsoon (July–November), with October highest. Temperature (~25 °C) and rainfall showed interactive effects, and species exhibited distinct diel activity patterns linked to both ecology and human activity. We identified 232 (6.90%) significant hotspots out of 3,379 grids, concentrated in rapidly urbanizing eastern corridors. These findings provide evidence for synanthropization of the urban snake population, albeit creating challenges for snake conservation and public health. Effective management will require expert-led rescues, awareness campaigns, long-term monitoring, wildlife-sensitive urban planning. • Snake rescues rose 16.90% in a decade of urban expansion in Hyderabad city • Two species: Naja naja and Ptyas mucosa constituted 76% of all the rescues • Diel, seasonal, and weather-driven patterns shaped human–snake encounters • GAMs revealed combined effects of temperature and rainfall on the encounters • Hotspots of snake rescues clustered in rapidly urbanizing zones