Mongabay · Climate & nature

World Congress on Snakes to be Held in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka will host the first World Congress on Snakes (WCS 2026) in Kandy from October 1-4, 2026. This landmark event is the first international conference dedicated solely to snake biology, conservation, and public health.

The congress is expected to draw over 400 delegates, including more than 300 international scientists, ophiologists, and medical experts, alongside over 100 local researchers. They will address critical ecological challenges and the global crisis of snakebite envenomation.

Sri Lanka was chosen as the host due to its significant reptilian diversity, with 112 snake species, over 63 of which are endemic. The event aims to establish Sri Lanka as a center for global snake research and conservation policy.

The congress provides a dedicated platform for snake research, which has often been marginalized in broader herpetological forums. It seeks to move conservation efforts beyond fear and folklore towards science.

A key focus will be the relationship between humans and snakes, including snakebite management and toxicology. Snakebites are a neglected tropical disease, causing over 100,000 deaths and thousands of permanent disabilities annually worldwide.

Discussions will involve developing more effective antivenoms and bridging biodiversity science with clinical protocols to save lives and protect dwindling snake populations. Topics will cover snake biology, chemistry, and policies for human-snake coexistence.

The congress will explore themes such as snake diversity, behavior, ecology, global snakebite perspectives, habitat protection, and captive snake management. It will also incorporate discussions on AI, citizen science, conservation genomics, and climate challenges, with field excursions planned.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.