The 10th World Congress of Herpetology, held from August 5 to 9 at the Borneo Convention Center in Kuching, Sarawak, brought together over 1,400 delegates from 70 nations—uniting researchers, conservationists, and enthusiasts passionate about reptiles and amphibians. Save The Snakes proudly represented with Conservation Partner Kamal Devkota, African Program Manager Hiral Naik, and Vice President Eric Stitt, all sharing their insights and experiences at the conference, manning the Save The Snakes information table, and engaging with attendees from renowned herpetologists to aspiring students.
A Meeting of Minds and Missions
For Hiral Naik, attending the World Congress was an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. A veteran attendee, this was her third time presenting at the Congress, covering her PhD research on snakebite management and sharing Save The Snakes’ work in South Africa. Her presentations, “Snake Education: Connecting Science and Society” and “Changing the Way We Do Snake Conservation,” resonated deeply, emphasizing the power of education to shift public perceptions of snakes and reduce human-snake conflict.
In Eric Stitt’s words, “It’s rare to see so many passionate minds come together with the shared goal of conserving these fascinating creatures.” His talk provided a global update on Save The Snakes’ conservation activities and highlighted new funding opportunities, including the Vijayan Devan Southeast Asian Snake Conservation Grant Program. Over the years, Save The Snakes has funded more than 30 research projects worldwide, removed thousands of snakes from human-snake conflict situations, and provided community-based safety training to more than 250,000 people. The Congress was an ideal stage to spotlight the organization’s achievements, while gathering ideas for future projects.
The Legacy of Borneo’s Biodiversity
Borneo was an inspired choice as host, with its remarkable biodiversity spotlighted by the very venue itself, trod by the muddy boots of field herpetologists exploring local trails. With over 15,000 plant species, Borneo is an epicenter of biodiversity, a distinction which has also helped it serve as a critical site for understanding speciation and ecology. Delegates had the chance to experience the island’s rich herpetofauna firsthand, encountering creatures such as the Bornean keeled pitviper, the green crested lizard, and the long-nosed horned frog, photos below taken by Hiral Naik.
Eric Stitt documented the event through photography, capturing unforgettable moments like the opening address by the Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Zohari Bin Tun Openg, which set an inspirational tone. From billboards near the airport to the buzz at the Save The Snakes booth, the Congress left a significant impact on both local and international communities. Highlights included collaboration with Nepal’s Kamal Devkota, a reminder of conservation’s global reach.
Empowering Through Education and Research
One notable gathering during the Congress was the luncheon hosted by Global Women in Herpetology (GWH), showcasing the strides of women in this field. Save The Snakes was proud to support this initiative, as it aligns with their goal of fostering inclusivity and education in herpetology. Hiral’s work in South Africa, particularly the Snake Education and Community Awareness Program (SECAP), continues to change perceptions, as her team’s surveys demonstrate how education reduces the likelihood of killing snakes and fosters a more positive view.
The Road Ahead for Snake Conservation
The Congress closed with delegates inspired by the power of unity in herpetology and conservation. Both Eric and Hiral’s experiences emphasized that education and community engagement remain cornerstones in the fight to protect snake species. Through their connections and shared knowledge, they laid a foundation for more innovative approaches to conservation, both in South Africa and beyond.
With plans for expanded grants and new partnerships, Save The Snakes looks forward to the work ahead—promoting coexistence and ensuring that snakes, so integral to our ecosystems, are not just understood but respected. The 10th World Congress of Herpetology was a testament to the strides made and a celebration of what lies ahead.
Abstracts for the talks delivered by Hiral, Kamal, and Eric are below.
What Makes a Snake Bite? A South African Perspective Hiral Naik and Graham J. Alexander School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, PO Wits, Johannesburg, Gauteng 2050, South Africa 40
Snakebite is a public health challenge that has a substantial impact on humans and snakes. While considerable investments have been made in the treatment of snakebite, our knowledge on the ecology of snakes in relation to snakebite is low. Millions of people are affected by snakebite globally, particularly in rural areas and in South Africa this number is in the thousands. Historically, case studies on snake bites have only been published by medical professionals and few scientists, however most snakebite cases are not published. We reviewed past and present literature on snakebite in the South African context and compared this to known bite incidences from personal accounts, hospital records and a national snakebite database. We also discuss the behavioural ecology of several medically important venomous snakes in South Africa and the likelihood of these snakes to bite people from experimental procedures conducted using a fake arm model. The results from the literature indicate that while many venomous snakes are featured in the snakebite literature, there are also numerous bites from non-venomous snakes. We discuss various bites and the circumstances under which people have been bitten and the corresponding snake behaviour that may have led to the bite. Our behavioural experiments further show that snakes are less likely to bite if they have the option to flee but if aggravated consistently, they will bite to defend themselves. To prevent snakebite, it is pertinent that we learn about the situations that lead to snakebites by gaining more insight on the activity and behaviour of not only medically important snakes but also other snakes that feature in snakebites.
Snake Education: Connecting Science and Society Hiral Naik1,2 and Chris Cooke3 1 Save The Snakes, R527, Blyderus, Hoedspruit, Limpopo, 1380, South Africa 2 School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, PO Wits, Johannesburg, Gauteng 2050, South Africa 3 Hoedspruit Reptile Centre, R527, Blyderus, Hoedspruit, Limpopo, 1380, South Africa
Human-snake conflict is an increasingly common problem around the world, stemming from a lack of education about snakes and this conflict can often cause incidences of snakebite. As human encroachment increases, the likelihood of human-snake conflict also increases. The Hoedspruit area in South Africa is predominantly rural with increasingly more development taking place and a large diversity of venomous and non-venomous snakes is found in the area which are often encountered and killed. To create a better relationship between snakes and humans in the area, we aim to mitigate human-snake conflict through effective education tools and mentorship, particularly in schools and through community outreach. Snake Education and Community Awareness Program (SECAP) was born from a partnership between Save The Snakes, a non-profit organisation working to mitigate human-snake conflict and Hoedspruit Reptile Centre, an education and conservation focused snake park. Over the last few years, we have visited schools in the area, conducted presentations focused on the biology of snakes and demonstration with snakes. To monitor and evaluate the impact of our efforts, we have conducted pre and post workshop surveys. The survey results indicated that learners had a range of different attitudes towards snakes, from loving snakes (28%) and fearing snakes (44%) to hating snakes (9%) and killing snakes (23%). The post workshop survey results showed an improved perception of snakes and two times less likelihood of killing snakes A core part of our work focuses on scientific research and bringing the science of snakes to the community and school curriculums. Through our continuing engagement with learners and community members in and around Hoedspruit, we believe that we have been able to reduce the fear of snakes and encourage people to view snakes in a positive light.
Changing the Way We Do Snake Conservation 388 Hiral Naik1,2 1 Save The Snakes, R527, Blyderus, Hoedspruit, Limpopo, 1380, South Africa 2 School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, PO Wits, Johannesburg, Gauteng 2050, South Africa
Snakes are one of the most ecologically diverse groups of animals that occupy many different niches around the world. However, most efforts to conserve snake species are often included within the conservation plans that dominantly focus on other organisms. Due to their Least Concern status, snakes are often not considered for priority conservation despite their longstanding persecution from humans. Recently, as snakebite has become a cause for concern in the human health sector, the status of snake conservation is being revisited. The fear of snakes is the primary reason for human-snake conflict and the result of this conflict can result in a bite to the human and/or a killed snake. When the bites occur from venomous snakes, it can lead to severe consequences for humans and the best way to prevent this is to change mindsets regarding the fear of snakes. Education is becoming an intricate part of biodiversity conservation, particularly at the local community level. Save The Snakes, a non-profit organisation that focuses on promoting human-snake coexistence has established a unique snake conservation model in South Africa. The programme focuses on bringing the science of snakes to rural communities and using local knowledge to change the current fear-based mindset that exists about snakes. In the last 3 years, building valuable relationships with people living in these communities has enabled a new way of conserving snakes including building partnerships with other locally based conservation organisations. By paving a pathway for snake conservation, many additional species would reap the benefits and promote a holistic approach to many conservation efforts that currently exist around the world.
Nesting Ecology, Habitat Use and Conservation Threats of the King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah (Reptilia: Squamata: Elapidae): A Rare Case Study of Twin Nests from Guth Sallaghari Community Forest, Kathmandu, Nepal Kamal Devkota1,2, Bishnu Maharjan3 , Dev Narayan Mandal4 , Rohit Giri1,2, Subodh Acharya1,2, Nabaraj Pudasaini5 , Badri Kumar Karki6 , Ashutosh Bhatta6 , Ashok Parajuli6 and Matt Goode7 1Save The Lives Society, Budhanilkantha-9, Kathmandu, Nepal 2Nepal Toxinology Association, Major Chowk, Kawasoti 8, Nawalpur, Nepal 3Geographical Information Science and System, University of Salzburg, Austria 4Mithila Wildlife Trust, Dhanusha, Nepal 5REDD Implementation Centre, Ministry of Forest and Environment, Nepal 6Division Forest Office, Kathmandu, Ministry of Forest and Environment, Bagmati Province, Nepal 7Wildlife Conservation and Management, University of Arizona, USA
Ophiophagus hannah, the King Cobra, is recognized as the longest venomous snake in the world and is found across a wide range of regions. Despite its vital role in ecological balance, the study of their ecology, nesting behaviour and threats have been under studied and reported in Nepal. Through frequent field surveys that combine observations, camera traps and GPS mapping, this study documents the rare case of two female King Cobras nesting in close proximity (65 cm) to each other along with the photographic evidence where both females were also found in the single nest. The study indicates success rates; Nest 1 (96.96%) and Nest 2 (100%) after an incubation period of 70–75 days Notably, Nest 1 had larger hatchlings on average and higher internal nest temperatures compared to Nest 2 but the correlation of weight and length was found to higher in Nest 2 (0.95) as compared to Nest 1 (0.35). Analysis of changes in land use and cover highlights a worrying trend of increased built up areas due to ongoing developmental activities leading to habitat loss over time. By overlaying land use changes with kernel density estimates, it becomes evident that there is an increased risk of human wildlife conflicts, in areas where high kernel density overlaps with expanding built up areas. Major risks, to King Cobras involve the loss of their habitats, habitat fragmentation activities that alter the environment and persecution by humans. This research highlights the pressing importance of implementing conservation efforts to protect King Cobra habitats and address conflicts between humans and wildlife in GSCF area and other part of the country.
Save The Snakes: Update on Global Conservation Activities and New Funding Opportunities Eric Stitt, Save The Snakes, Sacramento, California, USA
Snakes are critically important: they maintain a central position in the food web and provide ecological services by controlling pest populations. Yet, global snake populations are at risk from habitat destruction, disease, over-harvesting, invasive species, climate change, and persecution by humans. The conservation needs of most snake species are little understood by researchers, are chronically underfunded, and garner little sympathy from society as a whole. Additionally, as human populations grow, human-snake conflict is becoming increasingly common, with over 2.5 million people annually suffering a serious envenomation. Clearly there is a gap between the conservation needs of snake species and the need for resolving human-snake conflict. Save The Snakes was founded in 2017 to address these two conflicting needs internationally through grants, partnerships, and project support. In this talk I summarize past, current, and future global Save The Snakes conservation activities. To date, the Save The Snakes Support Grant Program has provided funding to more than 30 research and education 478 projects world-wide. More than 212,000 people have learned about snake conservation from our website, and our conservation partners have removed thousands of snakes from human-snake conflicts and provided innumerable community-based safety trainings. We have staff in Africa and California in addition to our Board of Directors and Advisory Board. We have recently added two new funding mechanisms: in 2023 we introduced the Pacific States Conservation Grant to facilitate study of snakes in western Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. For 2024, Save The Snakes is excited to announce the Vijayan Devan Southeast Asian Snake Conservation Grant Program, intended to support individuals, particularly from underrepresented groups, working on snake conservation within Southeast Asia countries. Applications are currently being accepted for 2024 funding
So Widespread and Yet So Rare: Rana pipiens in Eastern California, USA Eric Stitt1,2, Jason Peters2,3 and Robert Hansen4 1 Save The Snakes, Sacramento, California, USA 2 ICF International, Sacramento, California, USA 3 William Jessup University, Rocklin, California, USA 4 Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
California, USA, harbors up to 28 species of native anurans in four families. Of these, the majority (17 species-61%) have been noted as declining in distribution and abundance and are protected as threatened, endangered, or under other regulatory status designations. Among this multitude of threatened amphibians, the Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens), North America’s most widespread amphibian, appears almost forgotten from discussion. The Northern Leopard Frog’s status in California has historically been confounded by the introduction and establishment of non-native populations, combined with a confusing taxonomic history and a propensity to occur on private land. A presumed native population has not been observed in California since the early 1990’s, and seemingly little effort has been made to document the species: however, in 2019 a dead leopard frog was observed on a snowbank in Mono County, within the historical native range of the species. Subsequent surveys in 2020–2024 have documented an extant but sparse population in the Walker River Watershed west of the Nevada border. Here we report on the collection history of Rana 477 pipiens in California via museum records. we provide survey results from the Walker River site and outline potential steps for habitat enhancement. Lastly, we present ideas for the conservation of this species in the Golden State.
