Srinagar, July 15 -- These sightings are no longer rare. Farmers in Pulwama are finding snakes near water pumps. Children in Baramulla have been rushed indoors after reptiles were spotted in schoolyards. Families in Anantnag are discovering them under beds and verandahs.

The season of serpents, once limited to the fringes of Kashmir's wetlands and woodlands, is now creeping closer to home.

Behind these encounters is a shift few can ignore: the valley is heating up.

Over the past two decades, Kashmir's average summer temperature has risen by more than 1.2degC. As the snowline retreats and ground temperatures rise earlier each year, reptiles are waking sooner from hibernation.

Longer warm seasons mean longer active periods for snakes, a...