World Snake Day

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Context

• At Delhi Zoo, also known as National Zoological Park, World Snake Day was celebrated on July 16, 2023.
• It was celebrated to raise awareness about snakes in India for the purpose of their protection.

Other Details

• An enrichment activity was conducted by snake keeping staff by providing cage furniture in the reptile house.
• Interaction with 350 visitors and small children was conducted.
• To make people more aware and educated about conservation, literature on reptiles was also distributed among visitors.
• Plantation was also conducted inside the snake houses.

Importance of such events

• Apart from protection, such events also help in clearing misconceptions about snakes.
• It also helps in sensitizing general public for the significance of snakes for our planet thus contributing to preservation of biodiversity.
• The awareness helps in reducing snake-human conflicts which may result into less number of snakebites.

Snakes

• These are reptiles belonging to the suborder Serpentes and order Squamata.
• These are elongated, limbless, cold-blooded, carnivorous reptiles which have flickering forked tongues.
• It is believed that more than 3,500 species of snakes are present across the globe.
• Most of the species of snakes are not venomous in nature, only 725 species of venomous snakes are found worldwide,
• Out of these venomous species only 250 have ability to kill a human with one bite.
• They have their presence in all continents except Antarctica.

Significance

• They play an important role in maintaining food chain and food web.
• These are middle-order predators which keep population of other species balanced in an ecosystem.
• They also provide economic and therapeutic benefits to humans.
• Source of various medicines.
• Venom is used to treat snake bites.
• They also help in disease prevention.
• Can kill various organisms like rodents harmful for agriculture.
• They also contribute to reproduction of plants through secondary seed dispersal.

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Threats

• Threatened due to land clearing for agriculture,
• Domestic pets.
• Urban development and destruction of forests.
• Killing out of fear.

Must Read Article:

Snakebite deaths in India

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/india-recorded-12-million-snakebite-deaths-in-the-past-two-decades

PRACTICE QUESTION World snake day is celebrated in different parts of the world to raise awareness about the significance of various snake species. Highlight the threat posed to the protection of snakes. Also, discuss their significance to the environment and humans. (150 words)

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1939990