International snake survey led by Cal Poly graduate student seeks to limit snakebites and inform public
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Owen Bachhuber, a biological sciences graduate student at Cal Poly, is a co-manager of a global study aiming to reduce the number of snake bites around the world.
The study, entitled 'Under the Snakefluence', is surveying people in more than 20 countries to get a better idea of global perceptions about our slithery neighbors and assess the best methods for educating people about serpents explained a press release about the program from Cal Poly.
Questions on the survey focus on knowledge about snakes, their role in the environment, and the emotional response of survey takers towards them.
"We’re asking questions about the factors that influence people’s perceptions of snakes, including where someone grew up and their culture's influences," explained Bachhuber. “[W]e’re asking can we do to improve those perceptions in educational settings."
According to the World Health Organization, about 5.4 million people around the world are bitten by snakes every year resulting in up to 138,000 deaths and 400,000 cases of permanent disability.
Research shows that attempts to kill snakes can result in more snakebites than would occur naturally and delayed medical treatment increases the chances that bites can cause permanent damage or even death noted Cal Poly.
The research team intends to use their findings to challenge negative perceptions about snakes and create pubic outreach materials as steps to reduce snakebites.
Snakes are exceptionally talented at rodent control in a variety of environments and their venom can be used to develop therapeutic drugs and make diagnostic tools.
Bachhuber, who works as a researcher at Cal Poly's Physiological Ecology of Reptiles Laboratory, co-manages the project with Cal Poly biological sciences Professor Dr. Emily Taylor, Australian ecologist Dr. Christina Zdenek, University of Queensland Honours student Poppy Wyndam, Arizona State University geography and sustainability Professor Dr. Kelli Larson, and The Australian National University's Associate Professor of Sociology Dr. Gavin Smith.
Besides the United States and Australia, other countries participating in the globe-spanning, seven-language survey include: Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Uganda, Malawi, Bangladesh, Nepal, Peru, and the Philippines.
"My role is to meet with these different co-authors and project leaders from around the world to make sure people are feeling represented and heard as part of this study," Bachhuber said. "We are surveying everyone from rural villagers who don’t read or write to academics and professionals. It’s a broad scope."
So far, 134 snake education events have been held in 20 countries with over 1,700 responses collected.
Data collection is expected to wrap up in July of 2025 and the findings published in 2026 in an academic journal as well as The Conversation.
"Snakebites are such a big issue globally and there’s a lack of funding to treat them," noted Bachhuber. "Snake education is great prevention for that. If you know how to avoid getting bitten by a snake, or what to do if you’re bitten by a snake, you are less likely to die from a snake...one of the key goals [of the project] is to give a voice to these countries where it’s a big problem and hopefully shed light on this issue so they can receive more resources."
