This Earth Day weekend, events will be held around the world to demonstrate support and spur action towards protecting our environment. During this time, it is so important to reflect on how our individual actions can impact global wildlife populations and their ecosystems. Snakes, like all other wildlife species, depend on clean water to drink, pure air to breath and pristine habitats to thrive. As we work together to make our Earth a little better, let’s take a moment to appreciate the ways snakes contribute to our planet. You might be surprised how these spectacular serpents make our Earth ever so special.
Here are three spectacular ways that snakes are worthy of celebrating on Earth Day:
1. Snakes Maintain Balance in the Food Web.
All over the planet, snakes play an integral role in maintaining balance in ecosystems. In most systems, snakes can be both predator and prey. When a large prey population attracts and sustains a large snake population, those snakes become prey for birds, mammals and even other snakes! Some snakes specialize in preying on other snakes, like the kingsnake, which can prey on rattlesnakes because they are immune to rattlesnake venom. In Southeast Asia, the king cobra, the longest venomous snake in the world, is also a snake-eating specialist. Without snakes in the food web, ecosystems become unstable and could even collapse!
2. Snakes are a Natural Form of Pest Control.
As predators, snakes keep prey populations in balance. For example, rodents reproduce exponentially in the absence of predators, as long as there is plenty of food. This is particularly true in environments dominated by humans. The University of Nebraska estimates that mice cause $20 million in damage annually in Nebraska! Most people try to control these pests with chemicals which end up polluting the environment. Snakes provide an easy, environmentally friendly, free and natural pest control service.