When you think of snakes, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
For many people, it’s fear. But this year for World Snake Day on July 16, we’re celebrating these remarkable reptiles and the important role they play in ecosystems around the world.
From forests and wetlands to grasslands and deserts, snakes help keep nature in balance. They come in an incredible variety of colors, sizes, and lifestyles, with adaptations that have fascinated scientists for centuries. The next time you spot a snake basking on a rock, or quietly gliding through the grass, remember—it's likely doing far more good than harm.
More Diverse Than You Think
There are more than 4,000 species of snakes around the world, living on every continent except Antarctica. Some, like the tiny Barbados threadsnake, are only a few inches long. Others, including the reticulated python, can grow more than 20 feet in length.
Ohio is home to over 25 native snake species, and the vast majority are nonvenomous. These snakes inhabit a variety of environments like wooded forests, prairies, rivers, marshes, and even suburban backyards. While they may look different from each other, each species fills an important niche in its ecosystem. Despite their reputation, snakes prefer not to interact with humans. They generally avoid people and will often retreat or play dead if given the opportunity.
Nature’s Pest Control
One of the most important jobs snakes perform is helping control rodent populations. Mice, rats, and other small mammals can damage crops, spread disease, and disrupt ecosystems when their numbers grow unchecked. By feeding on these animals, snakes help maintain a healthier balance.
Snakes are also an important part of the food web. While snakes are predators, they’re also prey for many other animals, including hawks, owls, foxes, raccoons, and other larger mammals. Healthy snake populations can be an indicator of a thriving ecosystem. Protecting snakes means protecting the habitats they—and countless other species—depend on.
Built for Survival
Snakes have evolved an impressive set of adaptations that help them survive in habitats across the globe. One of their most recognizable features is their forked tongue. Rather than tasting the air, snakes use their tongues to collect chemical particles from the air and ground and deliver them to a specialized sensory organ on the roof of their mouth called Jacobson’s organ. This allows them to “smell” their surroundings, helping them locate prey, find potential mates, and detect predators.
Snakes also never blink. Instead of eyelids, they have a clear protective scale covering each eye, giving them their signature unblinking stare. And despite the common myth, snakes don’t actually unhinge their jaw to eat. Instead, flexible ligaments and independently moving jawbones allow their mouths to stretch around large meals.
Not all snakes live the same way, either. While some spend much of their lives swimming through wetlands and rivers, others are expert climbers that hunt among tree branches. Some species lay eggs, while others give birth to live young. As they grow, snakes periodically shed their skin, allowing them to continue growing throughout their lives.
Sharing Our Spaces with Snakes
If you spend time hiking or exploring outdoors in Ohio, you may encounter a snake basking in the sun or crossing a trail. The best thing to do is to give it space and let it continue on its way. Snakes are an important part of Ohio’s native wildlife and rarely pose a threat when left undisturbed. Observing them from a respectful distance helps keep both people and wildlife safe.
World Snake Day reminds us that even the animals we fear or misunderstand play an important role in healthy ecosystems. Across the Museum, visitors can see native Ohio snakes and learn more about the important roles they play in healthy ecosystems. While most of our snakes live in the Reptile Room inside the Wildlife Resource Center, keep an eye out as you explore the Museum—you might spot one on exhibit in the Smead Discovery Center—Presented by PNC.
