Celebrate all things slithery on World Snake Day
World Snake Day, held every year on July 16, aims to increase awareness about the over 3 500 snake species that exist across the world.
WORLD Snake Day is a great way for you to increase awareness about the different types of snakes found all over the world, especially in KZN. The day was created to help people learn more about these animals and how much they contribute to the world as we know it. Snakes have received a bad rep ever since that pesky serpent convinced Eve to take a bite of the apple. A lot of people fear snakes, with good reason, but they are great creatures that are very important to the ecosystem. There are more than 3 500 species found around the world but only about 600 are venomous – less than 25 percent! Only about 200 species pose a risk to human life.
The difference between venomous and poisonous
Organisms that bite or sting to inject toxins into their victims are known as venomous, while the term poisonous is used for organisms that unload toxins when you eat them. This means that few snakes are poisonous, as most toxins are transferred by bite.
History of World Snake Day
The snake is one of the oldest mythological characters, which has been revered by civilisations all over the world. Being effective predators, they play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature. Snakes are also fascinating in that they have been around for a very long time and give us an insight back to a prehistoric time when reptiles ruled the Earth. Most people are fascinated by three species of snake: The king cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world; the rattlesnake has forced countless people to suck its poison out of the bite before it’s too late, and the reticulated python – the world’s longest snake that kills its prey by strangling it.
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How to celebrate World Snake Day
If you are still not convinced to get a pet snake, you can take advantage of this day to learn some more about these incredible animals. Here are some interesting facts:
Where do snakes live?
Snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica. They live in the sea, forests, deserts and even your backyard or garage.
What do snakes eat?
Snakes consume many different animals, but their favourites are insects, small rodents and frogs. They consume their prey whole because their lower jaw can separate from the upper one. Very large snakes, such as pythons, can eat small deer, pigs, monkeys and even people.
How do snakes behave?
Snakes need the environment to regulate their body temperature, so they bask in the sun to warm up, but if it becomes too toasty, they will slither off to find a nice shady spot to cool off. They are generally not aggressive creatures unless they are being hunted or need to defend themselves. They shed their skin three to six times a year as they grow larger.
How do they defend themselves?
Snakes are masters at defending themselves and will use a variety of techniques such as camouflage, biting and envenoming whatever they feel threatened by. Envenoming can be done by biting or spraying venom into a person or creature’s eyes. Some snakes will simply curl up in a tight ball in the hope they won’t be seen.
Why are some snakes endangered?
Fortunately, snakes are not widely hunted, but their numbers are still declining due to deforestation, climate change and humans encroaching on their habitats.
The big and small
The Barbados thread snake is the smallest snake in the world – it’s only about 10cm long. The heaviest snake is the green anaconda, and the reticulated python is the longest.
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Religion and mythology
Throughout the ages, serpents and snakes have represented fertility or a creative life force. As snakes shed their skin, they are known as symbols of rebirth, transformation, immortality and healing. In mythology, snakes were regularly regarded as guardians of the underworld or messengers between the upper and lower worlds because they live in cracks and holes in the ground.
A popular belief among the Zulu people is that the sudden appearance of a brown or green snake in a home, during or following a traditional ceremony, symbolises content ancestors because ancestors visit through a snake. Killing one of these snakes is believed to bring bad luck within the family.
There are three types of snakes prevalent in isiZulu culture: The inkanyamba (or invisible snake) is called the mother of destruction and believed to cause strong winds and destructive rain. The uMajola is a snake that only makes itself visible to a new-born child or a woman who is pregnant, without causing any harm. This is a sign that the new-born child is accepted into the family. Many Zulu and Sotho people believe that the rinkhals/mosenene snake brings good luck.
Many cultures in South Africa consider snakes immortal, perhaps because they regularly shed their old skins and grow new ones. Snakes lack eyelids, and because small prey animals often freeze from fear when confronted by them, this may have led to the superstition that snakes hypnotise their prey. Many people believe that snakes lick their prey all over before swallowing them, but this is untrue because snakes swallow and digest their prey whole. If disturbed, they will regurgitate their prey. Another belief is that snakes sting with their forked tongues, but they flick their tongues in and out to smell and taste.
