Celebrating World Snake Day: Discovering Snakes on iNaturalist
July 16th, 2023, is a special day for all snake enthusiasts around the world – it's World Snake Day! As members of the iNaturalist community, let’s come together and celebrate these captivating creatures that intrigue, amaze and admittedly sometimes scare us. Take a moment to appreciate the incredible diversity of snake species and the importance of documenting their presence on iNaturalist.
On World Snake Day, let's make it a mission to honor them by documenting their existence and promoting their conservation.
Here are a few suggestions to make the most of World Snake Day on iNaturalist:
- Get out in nature: Spend some time in natural habitats, such as local parks, nature reserves, or even your own backyard. Look for snakes (which are often found in open areas, basking in the sun along trails and along wetlands), take photographs, and share your observations on iNaturalist.
- Document and identify: Capture clear photos of the snakes you encounter, highlighting key features like color patterns, scales, and head shapes. Provide as much information as possible about the sighting, including the location, date, and any notable behaviors. For those who have snake ID figured out, you can help your fellow iNatters with the snake observations needing identification .
- Engage with the community: Participate in discussions, share your observations, and seek identification assistance from fellow iNaturalist users. Collaborating with others fosters a sense of community and enhances our collective knowledge about snakes.
- Learn and educate: Expand your knowledge about different snake species, their behaviors, and their ecological roles by checking out the iNat.ca Taxon page or check out these results in the Explore page to see which snakes have been observed in Canada and where. Share interesting facts, articles, or stories about snakes with your fellow iNaturalist users to raise awareness about their importance in the natural world. And leave us a comment - we’d love to hear about your favourite snake observation!
Together, we can make a lasting difference in the understanding and conservation of snakes worldwide. And remember, the vast majority of snakes in Canada are nonvenomous and harmless, but as with all wildlife, let’s observe them from a distance, for their sake and ours.
Happy World Snake Day!