3 reasons Year of the Snake may not be so scary

Snakes have always had an image problem. Let’s face it, that business about Eve and the apple, unlike snakes, has legs.

But the outlook may be improving.

The Chinese New Year on Feb. 10 ushers in the Year of the Snake, a burst of positive exposure. And by coincidence, the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell is organizing a day that celebrates all things slithery this Saturday.

Jason Clark of the Animal Planet series “SnakesKin” will present a humorous, informative show with venomous and nonvenomous snakes at 1 p.m. The Southeastern Reptile Wagon will display snakes, alligators and tortoises all afternoon. And kids can create their own snake crafts.

We asked Christie Hill, the nature center’s naturalist coordinator, to share three things with us that visitors should take away about Saturday’s stars.

1. Snakes are our friends, Hill said. "They are extremely beneficial to a healthy human habitat. Most of us have heard how important it is to keep the balance of all life in an ecosystem. Children tell me all the time in my programs that they understand why this is so important. A typical kid quote: 'If we don't let the snakes live outside, then the rats and mice will live inside.' Honestly, snakes get a bad rap. They really just want to do their thing and be left alone. We are the ones who can't seem to let them be to go about their business."

2. Georgia has the most diverse array of snakes in the eastern U.S. "There are 45 species in our state. We have six venomous species in Georgia, but only one in the metro Atlanta area — the Eastern copperhead."

3. Snakes are incredible in their adaptations for survival. "They are cold-blooded animals who can't move around easily in cold or really hot weather. So where do they go? Snakes don't hibernate, but they brumate. Instead of a deep winter sleep, snakes slow down their movement, calorie intake, even their breathing. Snakes may brumate for only a few days or for weeks at a time. Holes, burrows, rock crevices, caves and even leaf litter are a few examples of where snakes brumate in nature."