Today, 16 July, is World Snake
Day! Whether you love them or fear them, know little or lots about them – we at
Walker Books agree that snakes are fascinating creatures.
This month we publish a new non-fiction picture book written by award-winning writer and zoologist Nicola Davies and illustrated by Luciano Lozano, called I (Don’t) Like Snakes.
In this educational book, a little girl who does not like snakes is persuaded by her family (avid snake fans) that snakes are in fact fantastic creatures. Will they change her mind? You’ll have to read it to find out!
In the meantime, whilst we observe World Snake Day here are some snake facts taken from I (Don’t) Like Snakes:
- “Snakes aren’t slimy. If you touch their skin it’s dry. It looks wet because they have a shiny, see-through outer skin. When that’s worn out or outgrown, the snake sheds it. And there’s a new skin underneath.”
- “Snakes smell with their tongues. They flick them out to collect smells. All snakes are hunters and smelling is how they find their prey.”
- “Snakes don’t have eyelids!”
- Did you know that some snakes can fly? “A few forest-living snakes flatten their bodies so they can glide like a floating ribbon from one tree to the next.”
- “Some snakes use POISON. They have hollow fangs, like a doctor’s needle, which inject venom. They strike like lightening, killing with just one bite.”
- “There are almost 3,000 different kinds of snake in the world. Some are as small as a shoelace and some big enough to swallow a child. Their beauty and variety demonstrate the amazing things that can be done with a body that is really just a tube!”
Also, if you’re planning to visit London Zoo on Tuesday 26 August, you can meet Nicola Davies in person as she is running an event with ZSL herpetologist Iri Gill and ZSL Learning and Discovery Officer Charlotte Coales. The event is free if you have paid for zoo entry but you must book in advance.
More information about the
event can be found here: http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/whats-on/nicola-davies-%E2%80%98so-you-don%E2%80%99t-like-snakes%E2%80%99
