When is National Serpent Day?
February 1st is National Serpent Day.
What is National Serpent Day?
Snakes may not be for the faint of heart, but they might one day help treat those hearts. National Serpent Day promotes an appreciation for the world’s snakes.
These sinuous reptiles have been symbols of deception, evil, and medicine. The world of health care still uses serpents as symbols of potency and cunning in the Caducaeus—the medical symbol made of two snakes twined around a winged staff.
The ancient Greeks held snakes to be sacred and thought snake venom was remedial. It turns out they were right. The study of snake venom has produced painkillers and drugs for hypertension. Some scientists are hopeful that it might one day produce treatments for strokes, heart disease, and maybe even cancer.
Our serpentine friends are not all fun and games. They are fascinating though, and National Serpent Day is a chance to learn more about the crafty and cunning snake.
Fun facts about National Serpent Day!
Snakes don’t chew their food. Any teeth they have are used to inject venom or to keep prey moving in the right direction as they swallow it whole.
As of 2011, the longest snake ever recorded was a reticulated python 25 feet, 2 inches long.
Some snakes give birth to live young, though most lay eggs.
Herpetophobia is the fear of snakes.
Spitting cobras can, with alarming accuracy, spray blinding venom at the eyes of an attacker at least 6 feet away.
How to celebrate National Serpent Day:
Research the snakes native to your area. Learn which ones are poisonous and how to recognize them.
Read about famous snakes in literature, like Kaa in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, or Nagini in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
Find that friend who owns a snake, and conquer your herpetophobia!
What’s the hashtag for National Serpent Day?
Use #NationalSerpentDay on social media to share your love for snakes.