Year of the Snake

Last week saw the celebration of the Lunar (Chinese) New Year, meaning that we are now in the Year of the Snake!  I'd make a political joke, but it would ring hollow because, like many members of my field, I actually like snakes.

Snakes in zoos are a paradox that fascinate me.  There are few animals that terrify visitors more - yet few that visitors are also more excited to see.  They're among the most common of exhibit animals (virtually every zoo or aquarium has a snake exhibit, as do many museums and nature centers), but few individual species really stand out to folks (i.e., after I visit a zoo with a large reptile collection, I have a hard time remembering which species I actually saw on that visit).  They're commonly encountered in our local habitats, but most visitors are unable to identify even a single species.  Many zoos have snakes, but a large number of them aren't bred at our facilities, except for a handful of species in managed breeding programs - there's still a lot of reliance on private breeders, as well as dealers

We often think of snakes as danger - every AZA facility with venomous snakes is required to have special protocols for snakebites - but we seldom think of them as being in danger - and yet many species are.  Threats include habitat loss, over collection for the pet trade, invasive enemies for island species, and just plain ol' persecution from people who hate snakes.  Click on a news article about snakes, and it doesn't take too much scrolling to get to the "only good snakes are dead snakes" comments - even on the pages of rehab centers and other places you'd think would be a bit greener in their world views.

So, no time like the present to start celebrating snakes, raising awareness about them, and overall trying to make the world a safer, better place for them, as well as for us!