World Snake Day 2025: Date, theme, history and significance

World Snake Day is a global awareness day dedicated to snakes. It aims to highlight their beauty, diversity, and ecological value.

MC Science Desk

July 16, 2025 / 11:40 IST

World Snake Day 2025 (Image: Canva)

Every year on 16 July, snakes finally take the spotlight. World Snake Day 2025 offers a moment to shift our fears and look closer at these silent, slithering creatures. From ancient myths to modern science, snakes have long fascinated—and frightened—human beings. But this day reminds us why they deserve our understanding, not just our caution.

Snakes play a key role in balancing nature. Still, they are under threat due to habitat loss, exotic pet trade, and fear-based killings. This year’s theme—“Respect, Don’t Fear: Protecting Nature’s Silent Guardians”—focuses on compassion and conservation.

Why World Snake Day Matters

World Snake Day is a global awareness day dedicated to snakes. It aims to highlight their beauty, diversity, and ecological value. Wildlife organisations use this day to challenge false beliefs and urge protection of snake habitats.

Celebrations include educational events, digital campaigns, and rescue stories. Conservationists raise alarms over social media videos that harm snakes for fake entertainment. These videos often show cruelty for views, using snakes as helpless props. Experts also warn against exotic pet keeping, saying most snakes don’t survive long in captivity.

Snake deaths in homes, transit, and breeding centres are sadly common. Around 75% of pet snakes die within a year. Breeding for profit often results in deformities and suffering.

Efforts and How You Can Help

Organisations are pushing for better laws and public awareness. Animal lovers can help by reporting harmful content online. People are also encouraged to support campaigns that call for habitat protection and ethical treatment.

You can join efforts by not engaging with viral rescue videos. Sharing correct information can help challenge cruel practices and protect reptiles. World Snake Day is also a good time to teach others that snakes are sentient and curious beings, not villains.

Fascinating Facts About Snakes

Fact	Details
Number of snake species	Over 3,000 worldwide; around 600 are venomous
Snake’s sense of smell	They use forked tongues to detect scent from surroundings
Shedding skin	Snakes shed about once every month to grow and remove parasites
Jaw flexibility	Can eat prey up to 100% larger than their head
Pet snake mortality	Over 75% die within a year in captivity; breeding causes deformities

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Frequently Asked Questions About Snakes

Do snakes need sunlight during the day? Yes, snakes need natural light to help them stay warm and function properly. As cold-blooded animals, they rely on the sun to regulate their body temperature.
Do snakes sleep in the daytime or at night? That depends on the type of snake. Some species are active during the night and sleep during the day, while others rest at night and move around in daylight.
How far can a snake move in a single day? It varies depending on the species. For example, the short-tailed python travels less than 200 metres over nearly 50 days.
How often do snakes eat? Some snakes eat almost daily, while others can go weeks or even months without food after a big meal. Their diet depends on the species and meal size.
What do snakes usually do during the day? Snakes spend their time exploring, hunting, or resting. They use their tongues to sense the world around them and may show signs of fear or defence by flattening their bodies or shaking their tails.

Snakes may not roar, but they still speak. On World Snake Day, let’s learn to listen.

Here are some stories you may be interested in reading: New, mysterious jet-black tree snake species discovered in Papua New Guinea