Snakes play a vital role in the ecosystem around the world and people’s misunderstandings may be the biggest barrier to their conservation.
Friday marks World Snake Day and with Florida having diverse wildlife, including these slithery creatures, it’s important to know more about them.
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Barrington Mitchell, snake expert with Cool Zoo, joined News 6 to discuss the importance of snakes. Cool Zoo has a mission of “curating hands-on conservation, education, recreation and research for all to enjoy” and “operates as a traveling wildlife encounter experience,” according to a release.
“Most people have a big fear of reptiles and big fear of snakes in general, and there’s a lot of superstition behind it,” Mitchell said. “What we try to do is just let people know that snakes are not all bad.”
The zoo is also planning to open a location in Auburndale soon, bringing a more permanent experience to Central Florida.
Watch the full interview with Mitchell in the player at the top of this story.