World Snake Day 2020

July 16 is World Snake Day: an opportunity to celebrate snakes and raise awareness about their conservation. While snakes are threatened by many of the same issues that affect all wildlife (habitat loss, climate change, and disease), negative attitudes toward snakes may be the biggest barrier to their conservation because it often impedes efforts to address other threats.

We encourage everyone to use this day to share positive stories about snakes with their friends and families. Need some inspiration? We’ve got you covered.

We went LIVE on World Snake Day 2020 to cover some common questions and concerns about snakes and coexisting with them.

Rattlesnakes take care of their kids. Sometimes their friends’ kids too.

Rattlesnake babies are born alive and stay with mom a week or two until they shed their skin. Mom keeps them safe during this vulnerable time. At communal nests, pregnant rattlesnakes and visiting males may babysit the babies too. For more on this topic, check out Happy Mother’s Day.

Some snakes are social.

Indeed they are, as are many other reptiles and their social behavior is more like birds and mammals than many guess! We found that Arizona Black Rattlesnakes have friends and individuals they avoid within their community. For more on this topic, check out Squamate Sociality.

Rattlesnake fights are rarely lethal, but always beautiful.

Rattlesnake combat is an elaborate wrestling match, where each snake tries to topple the other. They rarely bite during combat and there is little rattling. In fact, the contest can be so tranquil that it is often mistaken for courtship between a male and female. For more on this topic, check out Lovers and Fighters.