July 16 is World Snake Day.
World Snake Day is celebrated annually on July 16. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness of snakes and their role in the ecosystem, to help people learn more about these reptiles, to draw attention to these extraordinary creatures and to dispel fears associated with them.
Snakes play an important role in nature, they are a kind of orderlies. Unfortunately, snakes are very often killed out of fear, although most species are not dangerous to humans.
Snakes are one of the most mysterious representatives of the animal world, causing both admiration and fear. They have a unique body structure, interesting adaptations and unusual behavior, which makes them true masters of survival in various ecosystems. Snakes live from the semi-frozen tundra to the humid jungles of the equator and most of the world's oceans.
There are 11 species of snakes in Ukraine, but only three of them are poisonous. Within the Mykolaiv region, you can find the following species of snakes: grass snake, dice snake, blotched snake and Caspian whipsnake. Poisonous common European vipers in the Mykolaiv region are found extremely rarely and not throughout the region.
Snakes are one of the oldest mythological characters. In Greek mythology, the god of medicine Asclepius (in Roman mythology, Aesculapius) appears in the form of a snake that saved people from illness and death; he is depicted with a staff wrapped in a snake. This myth became the prototype of the emblem of medicine – a bowl wrapped in a snake, as well as the name of one of the species of snakes – the Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus), a rare and non-poisonous snake listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.
Snakes come in a wide variety of sizes – from pythons and boas that can reach 10 meters, to blind snakes that can fit on a coin. Snakes also come in a variety of colors. Snakes can be green, gray, brown, black, yellow, red, orange, spotted, striped, or have a unique pattern.
The total collection of snakes in our zoo includes 17 species, including 9 species of pythons and boas, and 8 species of Natricinae. There are no poisonous snakes in the collection of snakes in our zoo.
You can see the collection of snakes in Mykolaiv Zoo in the aquaterrarium and in the winter room of the primate department. We recommend that reptile fans pay attention to the ecological and educational information about snakes in our region and Ukraine, which is located on the stands in the aquaterrarium.
The largest representatives of the collection are Burmese pythons (Burmese tiger pythons) (Python bivittatus). A four-meter Burmese python can be seen in the terrarium, which is located in the winter room of the primate department. And another interesting albino Burmese python is exhibited in the room where the aquariums are located. The zoo adopted him from the townspeople who left Mykolaiv, fleeing the war. In the same way, in 2022, our “star” Casandra, a common boa (Boa constrictor), came to us. Casandra is very calm, sociable and therefore often takes part in various educational events. We also offer to look at the representatives of our collection of these wonderful animals in photos taken in Mykolaiv Zoo right now!
