Snake expert and @Smithsonian Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellow @eddieamyers kicks off our Herpetology #NatureNerding101 with five #ReasonsToLoveSnakes.

#1: Snakes, and timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) in particular, help limit the occurrence of Lyme’s disease. They prey on small mammals and reduce the number of ticks that transmit the disease. A reminder of how important biodiversity is for human health! #NatureNerding101

#2: Most snakes are small and harmless. Less than 10% of all species are venomous to humans. The red-bellied snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) is a small, secretive snake found throughout the eastern U.S. They give birth to live young, only ~3 in. long! #NatureNerding101

#3: #DYK snake venoms have medicinal uses? S. American pit vipers—like the Bothrops moojeni—have dangerous bites, but proteins isolated from their venom have been used in drugs that help break down blood clots and lower blood pressure to save lives. #NatureNerding101

#4: Recent research has shown that some species of will form and maintain a “clique.” Even if multiple groups of snakes are mixed up in a lab, snakes will actively seek out friends. This suggests that there may be sociability among snakes! #NatureNerding101 @SnakeAdvocate