By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

PELHAM – Visitors of Oak Mountain State Park had the opportunity to meet some slithery friends the afternoon of Tuesday, July 16, as the park hosted World Snake Day.

World Snake Day was held at the Oak Mountain Interpretive Center inside of OMSP as the education team helped visitors learn more about snake species.

Children had the opportunity to see and learn about four different species of snakes including a corn snake, a black king snake, a desert king snake and a juvenile corn snake.

The focus of the event was to educate audience members on the important role snakes play in the environment and to hopefully ease fears people may have of the reptiles.

“Today is World Snake Day so we’re here at the interpretative Center to help everybody be less afraid of snakes,” Lauren Muncher said. “They’re great to have and important for the environment. We have a ton of snakes in Alabama in general and so we just want to make sure people learn how to respect the venomous ones, not to be scared and to have a good appreciation for them.”

World Snake Day urges increased awareness of the wide variety of species around the world as there are more than 3,500 species of snakes.

To learn more about Oak Mountain State Park or to see other upcoming events, visit Alapark.com/parks/oak-mountain-state-park.