We host activities to spread the importance of these animals in the ecosystems of the planet.

Today we have joined in the celebration of World Snake Day with a series of activities aimed at raising awareness of the importance of these animals in the planet’s ecosystems. The day has featured different activities with the aim of highlighting the crucial role that snakes play in nature.

The World Snake Day programme began at 11a.m. with a talk and a demonstration of feeding the dark false coral, a species that differs from the coral snake in the order of its coloured rings and because the false coral is not venomous. This event took place where the installation of the black mamba is, considered to be one of the most venomous on the planet and one of the most outstanding species in the park.

Afterwards, our Education department gave a special talk on the celebration of World Snake Day. This activity took place inside the volcano, where the exhibition of venomous creatures is located, and covered topics such as the diversity of these carnivorous reptiles, curiosities, anatomy and conservation. In addition, visitors were able to watch biological material such as fangs and skeletons of snakes.

As the park experts explained, snakes play an essential role in nature by maintaining the balance of species. As predators, they help to control the populations of their prey, avoiding imbalances that could negatively affect ecosystems. In addition, their venom is used in the production of serums and medicines to treat chronic diseases such as arthritis.

Terra Natura Benidorm currently houses a varied collection of snakes, which includes specimens like the emerald boa, rattlesnake, horned rattlesnake, monocle cobra, diamondback rattlesnake, four nosed rattlesnake and canthal snake. In addition, you can also see a black mamba, the only pair of moss vipers that exists in Spain, six specimens of gaboon vipers and a false coral that was seized by the police last year.

In its commitment to conservation and providing a social service, Terra Natura Benidorm collaborates on a permanent basis with the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) in the reception of seized snakes. Many of these animals are handed in by citizens who are unable to care for them or who leave them when they grow too big. All these species live inside the volcano in the Pangea area of the park.

On the occasion of this celebration, the director of Terra Natura Benidorm, Luis Perea wanted to highlight that ‘at Terra Natura we are committed to the protection of wildlife and the conservation of endangered species. That is why we want to remind our visitors and supporters of the serious threat that illegal animal trafficking supose to biodiversity. Every year, thousands of species are illegally captured and sold on the black market, endangering their survival’.