On January 29, communities around the world rang in the Lunar New Year. In the Chinese zodiac, a 12-year cycle aligns each year with its own animal, as well as one of five elements—wood, fire, earth, metal, or water. As we bid farewell to the Year of the Wood Dragon, we welcome the zodiac’s next chapter: the Year of the Wood Snake. And with serpents in the spotlight, we’re thinking about snake-centric stories, including these five.
The Italian Town That Welcomes Spring With Live Snakes
By Dania Rodrigues
Snake-centered rituals were once commonplace across Europe. While many of those traditions have since faded, one small town in central Italy is keeping their serpent celebration alive. Every May 1st, crowds gather in Cocullo to watch a statue of the local patron saint paraded around, covered in living snakes.
A San Francisco Airport Site Is Crawling With Snakes—And That’s a Good Thing
By Ashley Stimpson
Usually airports hire biologists to help keep animals out. At San Francisco National Airport, they do everything they can to make them stay. Strikingly beautiful—and highly endangered—San Francisco garter snakes have found a happy home on an overgrown vacant lot on the property.
Missouri’s Great Escaped Snake Scare of 1953
By Thomas Gounley
In 1953, residents of the sleepy town of Springfield, Missouri, picked up their hoes and shovels in self defense against at least 11 Indian cobras on the loose. For several months, residents used garden tools to ward off the slithering intruders, while local authorities took to more drastic measures, which included everything from homemade snares to bullets.
Meet the King Cobra Rescue Team That Saves Both People and Snakes
By Mahima A. Jain
In the forests of southwest India, researchers are rescuing a different kind of jungle royalty. King cobras, among Earth’s most venomous snakes, rarely bite humans, instead using their lethal bite to prey on other snakes. By keeping venomous populations in check, King cobras may help reduce India’s 50,000 annual snake-bite deaths.
What Can 26,000 Snakes Teach Us About Climate Change?
By Jack Tamisiea
At Oregon State University’s Weniger Hall, researchers are busy uncovering scientific insights from over 26,000 jarred garter snakes. Indeed, these cold-blooded creatures evolve relatively rapidly in response to shifts in their environment, making them excellent examples of how other animals could respond to climate change.
Article by:Source: Roxanne Hoorn
