20.06.2025 15:14
As the weather warms up, snakes entering homes, workplaces, and vehicles in 7 districts of Istanbul have caused concern among citizens. While some snakes were captured and released back into nature, others were killed out of fear that they were venomous. Dr. Ergün Bacak stated that the number of snakes will decrease in July and August, saying, "As the snakes die, the number of mice will increase. Therefore, it is actually important to first understand and then protect them."
With the increase in construction in Istanbul, snakes, whose living spaces are shrinking, have started to be seen in residential areas as the weather warms up. Reports to the fire department have increased regarding snakes seen in districts close to rural areas, especially in Küçükçekmece, Büyükçekmece, Başakşehir, Avcılar, Sultangazi, Arnavutköy, and Eyüpsultan.
SNAKES SEEN IN 7 DISTRICTS OF ISTANBUL Snakes seen in vacant lots and along roadsides have also started to appear in the gardens of homes and workplaces. Teams that responded to reports are releasing the snakes they have secured with protective clothing and equipment back into nature. Some individuals, however, have had to kill snakes with shovels, brushes, and sticks, not knowing whether they are venomous. So far, snakes seen in 7 districts have been recorded by mobile phone cameras.
A SNAKE ENTERED A BUSINESS A snake seen in the Firuzköy neighborhood of Avcılar entered a business. The anxious employees reported it to the fire department. Firefighters who arrived at the scene evacuated the surrounding area and removed the snake. The captured snake was later released back into nature.
SNAKES BELIEVED TO BE VENOMOUS WERE KILLED A snake noticed by locals in the Arnavutköy Sazlıbosna dam lake was thrown into the pond with a stick, while a snake seen in a cemetery in Sultangazi was killed by those who believed it to be venomous. Another snake seen in the street where children play in Başakşehir Şahintepe neighborhood was also killed with brushes and sticks. A snake seen on the street in Büyükçekmece caught the attention of a cat.
"WE ENCOUNTER THEM NEAR HOMES" Doğan Sağlam, who lives in the Firuzköy neighborhood of Avcılar with his family, said, "Unfortunately, the area around the residential area is filled with weeds. Recently, a snake suddenly jumped in front of our friend's car while he was driving. He said he almost had an accident. Of course, there are snakes; they are not absent. It would be beneficial for the authorities to take an interest and take precautions. They are near homes, and we encounter them. Sometimes we hear from our neighbors that a snake was seen in front of their house and that children are scared. In fact, a snake had entered a building in the back street near us. The fire department was called. After the firefighters rescued the snake, they released it back into nature. We cannot know if it is venomous or harmful, but since it is a snake, we have to take precautions. Sometimes some friends get anxious when they see a snake. They kill it thinking it is venomous. We are facing such a troubling situation," he said.
"I AM NOT AFRAID OF WEAPONS AS MUCH AS I AM AFRAID OF SNAKES" Süleyman Doğan Yılmaz, who says he is very afraid of snakes, stated, "I am not as afraid of weapons as I am of snakes. I am very scared of snakes. My wife is not afraid; she pulls it with her hand. Snakes love heat very much. It came and got tangled in the metal; it was in the place above where I lived 3-4 years ago. When I saw it, I said, 'What is this?' I called my wife, and she pulled it by the tail. She said not to kill it and released it into the weedy area. For example, the building next to us was empty. When it was rented, the weeds were cleaned. At least 30 baby snakes were killed. They come especially when places are vacated. The animals are hungry. Also, those who come here to drink alcohol kill them," he said.
"THEY WILL DECREASE IN JULY AND AUGUST" Dr. Ergün Bacak, a faculty member from Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Vocational School of Forestry, stated, "Snakes are cold-blooded animals. They hibernate in winter to protect themselves from the cold. Unlike us, their body temperature is not constant; they can adjust it according to the environment. Therefore, as temperatures rise, their activities increase. Snakes start to be seen after the air temperature reaches a certain level from the end of spring. Especially with the urbanization of rural areas and the pressure of urbanization on natural areas, the encounters with humans have increased. As it gets hotter, they will decrease a bit more in July and August because snakes will start to avoid such heat. Currently, May and June are the months when we are most likely to encounter snakes. Therefore, it is quite normal. In a city with 20 million people, seeing 3-5 snakes a week and encountering such cases is quite normal and ordinary," he expressed.
"THERE IS ONLY ONE TYPE OF VENOMOUS SNAKE IN ISTANBUL" Dr. Ergün Bacak stated, "For some reason, we are very afraid of snakes culturally. In fact, there are many living and non-living factors we should be afraid of. No one is afraid of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are the animals that kill the most people in the world. When we look at it that way, no one is afraid of mushrooms. They eat mushrooms. Dozens of people die from mushrooms every year. But they are afraid of snakes. There is actually a lack of awareness. It is about not knowing. If you know, you won't be afraid. In our geography, in Istanbul, there is only one type of venomous snake. The nose-horned viper. Its length is just over half a meter. It usually does not reach 1 meter and is a very slow-moving species. It is a very rare species. I have encountered it three times in Istanbul so far. It is seen so rarely. We are constantly in the field. We are constantly in nature. However, we encounter them very rarely. The most commonly encountered snakes are mostly harmless ones, like the Hazer snake, the yellow snake, the Esculapian snake, the house snake, and the burrowing snake. All of these are non-venomous snakes. Because they are non-venomous, they move very quickly. Look, you need to pay attention to this about snakes. Non-venomous snakes move quickly. Venomous snakes, because they are venomous, do not easily escape. They kill their prey by poisoning it, so they move very slowly," he said.
"AS SNAKES DIE, RATS WILL INCREASE" Ergün Bacak stated that snakes are very beneficial to biodiversity, saying, "A snake eliminates dozens of rats by eating them throughout a season."
They eat frogs. They eat lizards. In this way, they contribute to biodiversity. Therefore, instead of killing snakes when encountered, notifying the fire department, informing the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, and alerting municipalities can be one of the best methods. If possible, let's not kill them. Because they are a part of nature. An expert should come and take them away. They should be relocated to another area to continue their lives. Because their numbers are decreasing significantly. Urbanization pressure is already on them. Every year, hundreds and thousands of snakes are crushed on the roads and lose their lives. If they also die in such encounters, as snakes are killed, the number of rats will increase. As the number of rats increases, diseases will rise. Damage to agricultural products will increase. Therefore, it is actually necessary to first recognize and then protect them," he said.