National Reptile Awareness Day is celebrated across the United States each year on October
21, to educate and inform the public about these often underappreciated cold-blooded
vertebrates.
The peafowl was designated as the national bird, the tiger as the national animal, the
Gangetic dolphin as the national aquatic animal, the king cobra as the national reptile and the
elephant as the national heritage animal.
While the history of reptiles may go hundreds of millions of years back, National Reptile
Awareness day has an unfortunately short history in comparison.
Additionally, it wasn't really until 1966 when the First Endangered Species Act was passed
that awareness of the needs and threats facing reptiles ( or any animal, for that matter ) started
to make its way into our cultural mainstream.
National Reptile Awareness Day wouldn't exist without the efforts of that movement.
Many reptiles wouldn't be around today without the help of the Endangered Species Act.
While National Reptile Awareness Day may have a small history compared to its
subjects, it's still part of a historically important movement to help protect and conserve all
species of animals.
Meaning and Importance of Reptile Awareness Day
National Reptile Awareness Day 2021 is Observed across the nation each year to raise awareness of Reptiles safely and the threat of their extinction. The National Reptile Awareness Day 2021
encourages not only the conservation of all reptiles worldwide but also promotes education and
appreciation for reptiles. This day is commemorated to raise awareness about threats to the natural
environments that our reptile friends rely on for survival.
Reptiles are crucial to the ecology and the overall health of the environment and food chain. In
reality, putting a reptile (or any animal, for that matter) into an environment where it isn't supposed
to be can create a significant mismatch between nature and how it functions. The number of iguanas
found in the southern region of Florida is a good illustration.
Iguanas are not dangerous or aggressive to humans but they damage seawalls, sidewalks, and landscape
foliage and can dig lengthy tunnels. Non-native Iguanas are multiplying so rapidly that the state wildlife
agency is now encouraging people to kill them. The commission says female Iguanas can lay nearly
80 eggs a year and South Florida’s warm climate is perfect for the prehistoric-looking animals.
As a result, National Reptile Awareness Day has grown in popularity among reptile enthusiasts and
pet owners who use the day to raise awareness about their pets and the activities they like the most.
Reptiles are cold-blooded animals that crawl or move on its belly. They are vertebrates, have dry skin,
covered in scales on horny plates. They are egg-laying creatures. A class of reptiles include snakes,
lizards, crocodiles, turtles and tortoises.
BENEFITS OF REPTILES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
1. GOOD INDICATORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Being specific to certain environmental conditions, they are prone to suffering from
habitat loss and pollution for extended periods. Therefore, a thriving community of
amphibians and reptiles shows that an environment is healthy and can support the
plant and animal life that exists there.
2. STOP THE SPREAD OF DISEASE
Being carnivores, they feast on insects and rodents and are known to carry diseases for
For example, Venomous Snakes feed on these pests. Therefore, keeping undesirable
pests away from humans and other animals
3. REPTILES HELP CONTROL SPECIES POPULATIONS
Overpopulation of any species can have a damaging knock-on effect on the other
wildlife that exists in space.
Reptiles like crocodiles and alligators prevent the overpopulation of fish species in
coastal regions and wetlands. Their feeding habits are essential in keeping aquatic
ecosystems like these healthy and balanced, which is instrumental for fisheries that
make their living in these environments.
4. HELP DECLINING SPECIES TO THRIVE
Not only do Reptiles being the Keystone Species help keep species’ numbers down,
but they also help many that are in decline to thrive! While not as common as
carnivorous reptiles, herbivorous reptiles disperse seeds and pollinate various plant
species, including those that are becoming increasingly rare.
5. GOOD FOR HOUSEKEEPING
Since they are lazy in terms of hunting as compared to other animals, they can be
kept away from the natural environment to an aesthetically pleasing man-made
environment. This keeps a check on their protection from pathogens that can cause
their extinction.
6. REPTILES HAVE HELPED ADVANCE MODERN MEDICINE
Reptiles that have helped advance modern medicine include:
➢ Snake venom has acted as a template for some of the most effective medicines
used for high blood pressure, heart failure and heart attacks.
➢ The anticoagulant properties of the Komodo Dragon’s venom have helped
conditions that stem from blood clots, like strokes and pulmonary embolisms.
➢ The terrifyingly named Deathstalker Scorpion has one of the most potent
venoms of any scorpion breed. It also contains Chlorotoxin, a toxin that is being
developed to diagnose cancers.
➢ TYPES OF REPTILES
REPTILE: - Any member of the class Reptilia, the group of air-breathing vertebrates
that have internal fertilization, amniotic development, and epidermal scales covering
part or all of their body.
➢ MAJOR GROUPS OF LIVING REPTILES
Turtles (order Testudines)
Tuatara (order Rhynchocephalia [Sphenodontidae])
Lizards and snakes (order Squamata)
Crocodiles (order Crocodylia, or Crocodilia)—account for over 8,700 species
Birds (Class Aves) share a common ancestor with crocodiles in subclass Archosauria
and are technically one lineage of reptiles, but they are treated separately.
EXTINCT REPTILES included an even more diverse group of animals that ranged from
the marine plesiosaurs, pliosaurs, and ichthyosaurs to the giant plant-eating and
meat-eating dinosaurs of terrestrial environments.
TAXONOMICALLY, Reptilia and Synapsida (a group of mammal-like reptiles and their
extinct relatives) were SISTER GROUPS that diverged from a common ancestor during
the Middle Pennsylvanian Epoch (approximately 312 million to 307 million years ago).
All birds and some groups of extinct reptiles, such as selected groups of dinosaurs,
also evolved endothermic physiology. However, many modern reptiles possess an
ectothermic (cold-blooded) physiology. Today only the leatherback sea turtle
(Dermochelys coriacea) has near-endothermic physiology. So far, no reptile, living
or extinct, has developed specialized skin glands for feeding its young.
Human behaviour towards reptiles
Owning reptiles (e.g., chelonians, lizards, and snakes) poses plenty of challenges in
terms of welfare and care, as well as conservation and environmental concerns.
However, despite the large scale of the reptile trade, little is known about the motives for
acquiring and keeping these animals. This research provides the first empirical
investigation on the motives for owning reptiles as pets in Portugal as well as on the
nature of the human–reptile bond. Using a mixed-methods approach, an online survey
was used to gather the views and opinions of 220 reptile owners. Respondents described
their affection toward reptiles using terms that denote affective states of increasing
intensity: “to like”, “to love,” “fascination,” and “passion.” Four main categories of
motivations for the long-term keeping of pet reptiles were identified: convenience,
entertainment, companionship, and duty of care. Respondents perceived their pets as
family members (64%) and as sentient beings, including the ability to feel “stress or
fear” (≥ 80%) and “pain or discomfort” (≥74%). Snakes differed from lizards and
chelonians in the sense that they were less frequently considered a “family member”
(χ2(2) = 7.14, p = 0.03) and were perceived as less able to communicate (χ2(2) = 9.91,
p < 0.01). Results suggest that human–reptile relations are driven by the same feelings as
those previously reported for mammalian pets, although they are more diverse and
nuanced by a sense of admiration and fascination for their mysterious nature and
unusual behaviours. Building on these strong emotional bonds, promoting early
education about wildlife conservation, and responsible pet keeping could play a crucial
role in improving captive-reptile welfare.
A similar bias in our knowledge about reptile species can be found when researching people's
relationships with animals.
It can be explored from many different perspectives, e.g., in terms of folk traditions,
utilitarian reasons, negative attitudes, pet keeping or nature protection.
The whole variety of human interaction with local fauna has been traditionally the subject of
ethnozoology ( or specifically ethno herpetology when focused on reptiles ), a discipline that
has thrived since the 19th century.
There are many forms of interaction between reptiles and humans Brazil-although most of
them are quite negative in terms of wildlife conservation -which reinforces the importance of
understanding such uses and interactions in the context of protecting reptiles in Brazil.
A better understanding of the cultural, social and traditional roles of these reptiles is
fundamental to establishing management plans for their sustainable
Aim
National Reptile Awareness Day aims to draw attention to all of such species and why they should be
conserved. A lot of people get freaked out or have misconceptions about snakes, lizards and such
animals and thus drive them away, sometimes endangering their lives. One of the ways to celebrate
this day is to raise awareness about their roles in ecology and how to work for their conservation.
References
reptile | Definition, Characteristics, Examples, & Facts | Britannica
https://www.learndirect.com/blog/why-reptiles-are-so-
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