World Snake Day Date in the current year: July 16, 2024

Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles that make up the suborder Serpentes. There are about 3,900 snake species that are found on all continents except Antarctica. Most snakes are terrestrial, but there are several dozen sea snake species that are widespread throughout the central Pacific and Indian oceans.

Snakes have been revered in many cultures and religions across the globe. They were associated with knowledge, wisdom, strength, renewal and rebirth in a number of ancient cultures. In ancient Greece, for example, snakes were associated with healing. Asclepius, the Greek god of healing and medicine, was portrayed with a serpent-entwined staff called the Rod of Asclepius that is similar to and often confused with the caduceus (the staff of Hermes).

In some religions, however, such as Christianity, snakes are associated with deception and evil. This mostly has to do with the story of Eve being deceived by a serpent in the Garden of Eden, which can be found in the Book of Genesis. The serpent is often identified as Satan, although there is nothing indicating it in the text of the Bible.

This is just one of the things that contributes to snakes’ bad reputation. A lot of people learn to fear snakes from family members and the media, which tend to portray snakes as dangerous. In reality, however, only about 600 of the nearly 3,900 snake species are venomous, and only about a third of them post a significant risk to human health and life.

Snakes, being predators, are an important part of a healthy ecosystem. Sadly, a significant number of snake species face various challenges that contribute to the decline of their population, such as persecution from humans due to their unwarranted reputation, being hunted for food, habitat loss, climate change, disease, and invasive species. This is why World Snake Day is so important.

World Snake Day is heavily promoted by the Advocates for Snake Preservation (ASP), a US-based nonprofit founded in 2014 to change the way people view and treat snakes. The observance was created to celebrate snakes and change the narrative about these incredible reptiles, promote peaceful coexistence of humans and snakes, and raise awareness about the dangers that snake face and the importance of their conservation.

There are many ways for you to observe World Snake Day. You can learn new and exciting facts about these amazing animals, read a book or watch a documentary about snakes, check out snakes at your local zoo or reptile park, donate to a snake rescue or snake conservation charity, and raise awareness about non-venomous snakes and the endangered status of some snake species.

And don’t forget to promote the holiday on social media with the hashtag #WorldSnakeDay. If you have a pet snake, share positive stories and photos of your pet to help people understand that most snakes aren’t scary or dangerous at all.