Table of Contents
What is World Snake Day?
World Snake Day has been observed on 16 July each year since 2009. Wildlife groups, zoos, and reptile keepers use it as a way to push back on the fear and myths around snakes.
The point of the day is awareness and conservation. Snakes live on every continent except Antarctica, and of the roughly 3,500 snake species known, only about 600 are venomous. They prey on rats, mice, and other rodents, which protects crops, slows the spread of disease, and keeps the local ecosystem in balance. They rarely bite humans unless provoked. As for conservation, snake populations drop with habitat loss, climate change, and deliberate killing.
Common Australian Snakes
Some of the most common snakes in Australia include:
The eastern brown snake. Commonly found across eastern and central Australia on farmland and town edges, it causes more snakebite deaths than any other species.
The tiger snake. Usually found near creeks and wetlands through the south-east and Tasmania, it is behind the second-highest number of bites nationally.
The red-bellied black snake, found near water down the east coast, glossy black with a red underside.
Inland taipan, the most venomous snake in the world. It keeps to remote semi-arid country and is seldom seen.
Death adder, a still, well-camouflaged ambusher that strikes fast when stepped on.
Ways to Celebrate World Snake Day This July 16
Marking the day costs little and takes an afternoon at most.
Read up on the snakes native to your area to inform yourself.
Visit a zoo, reptile park, or wildlife centre running a World Snake Day talk or handling session.
Donate to a snake rescue or a wildlife conservation group.
Post snake facts to your networks.
Join a local wildlife or reptile group.
Pets and Predators: Sharing Our Country With Snakes
Snakes are protected in every Australian state and territory, and killing one is illegal unless it threatens someone’s life. A snake in your yard may simply be passing through after water or food, more so in the warmer months, so the safe response is to distance yourself, and any children and pets. Watch it from well clear, and call a licensed catcher.
Native species can be kept as a pet only under a licence from a state or territory wildlife authority, and only when captive-bred and bought from a licensed seller.
Learn Snakebite First Aid
How a snakebite ends depends on fast, correct first aid. Much of that is settled in the first few minutes. A bandage applied without hesitation comes from having wrapped one before the day it is needed. That kind of readiness is what a first aid course is for. Whether you can help or only watch when a snake strikes comes down to enrolling in first aid training.
FAQs
Do Snakes Chase People?
No, but it can look like it. A cornered snake heads for the closest escape, and that line can sometimes run straight at the person blocking it. Many venomous species will also rear and feint forward as a bluff when they cannot get away.
How Often Do Snakes Shed Their Skin?
Snakes shed their skin around three to six times a year, more while they are young and growing fast. The old outer layer peels away in one piece as a fresh one forms beneath it. Shedding also clears off worn scales and hitchhiking parasites.
Can Baby Snakes Be Dangerous?
Yes. A venomous snake has venom from the day it hatches. While they have less venom and smaller fangs than an adult, these are the only differences.
