World Snake Day

Animal Awareness Days

Join the global celebration of snakes - learn about their unique role in nature, their challenges, and how you can support their protection.

About World Snake Day

World Snake Day is a global awareness day dedicated to appreciating the diversity, beauty, and ecological importance of snakes. Whether admired or feared, these remarkable reptiles deserve our respect and protection.

When is World Snake Day?

World Snake Day (also known as Snake Day or International Snake Day) is held on July 16th every year. This date is a chance to celebrate snakes and raise awareness of their dangers.

What is International Snake Day?

International Snake Day is when conservationists, wildlife organisations, and animal lovers from across the world come together to celebrate the characteristics that make snakes special and unique.

It’s also an opportunity to highlight threats to snake survival, owing to the exotic pet trade, their use in cruel social media videos, and changing habitats.

5 facts about snakes

Here are some incredible facts about snakes:

There are more than 3,000 species of snakes on the planet. About 600 of those species are venomous — and 200 can kill or wound a human.
Snakes smell with their forked tongues. They flick their tongues in different directions, smelling for danger and food.
Snakes shed their skin about once every month. This allows them to grow and get rid of parasites living on their skin.
Snakes have flexible lower jaws. This allows them to eat animals that are 75% to 100% larger than their head, all without chewing.
At least 75% of pet snakes die within one year of becoming a pet — and artificial breeding in captivity can cause serious genetic defects.

Snakes shouldn’t be kept as pets

Snake habitats are being destroyed to make way for agriculture and urban development, and climate change is also impacting them.

In addition, people's fear of snakes leads them to kill non-venomous snakes when they come into contact with them. Snakes are also often overlooked in conservation in favour of more charismatic animals.

Most significantly, snakes are taken from the wild or bred in captivity to be kept as pets as part of the exotic pet trade. Snakes are shipped huge distances, and many die in transit. Many snakes die in their owners' homes because their specific needs are nearly impossible to meet in captivity.

They are then used as props in fake “animal rescue” videos on YouTube. People film domesticated animals being attacked and rescued from predators, like snakes. The snakes in these videos are cruelly treated and injured to create viral content.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can be part of the solution. In the next section, discover simple but powerful actions you can take to help protect snakes and support their conservation.

How to celebrate World Snake Day

Take steps to stop the exotic pet trade. Report pictures of exotic pets on social media, flagging them for “animal cruelty” or choosing the closest alternate category.
If you see content on social media featuring exotic pets or fake animal rescues, don’t comment, like, share, or tag others, as this could drive more traffic to the posts and associated profiles.
Use your voice to raise awareness of why wild animals should never become pets, even if they were bred in captivity. Create social media posts — or share ours — to highlight this issue.
Join our campaigns to push organisations and governments to safeguard animals and their habitats.
Sign up for our newsletter to discover more ways you can help snakes and other wildlife.

Many animals need your help. Find out about other animal awareness days.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Snakes

Do snakes need light during the day?

Yes, snakes need light from the sun to move and keep their bodily functions working properly. This is because snakes are ectothermic — their body temperature changes according to external sources.

Do snakes sleep at night or during the day?

Some snake species sleep at night. Some — like the ball python — sleep during the day. They spend their days in a burrow before leaving at night to hunt, climb trees, and explore.

How far can a snake travel in a day?

The distance a snake can travel depends on the species. The short-tailed python has been shown to cover a mean distance of less than 200 metres in around 50 days.

How much do snakes eat a day?

A snake’s diet varies from species to species. Some eat nearly every day. But if a snake has a particularly big meal they can go for a year without eating again.

What do snakes do all day?

Snakes are sentient beings that experience a range of emotions. They flick their tongues to understand their surroundings. They coil tightly, flatten their bodies, or shake their tails to communicate fear or aggression.

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