Men and Snakes: A long-term monitoring of wild caught snakes used in the Rito di San Domenico e dei Serpari (Cocullo, AQ, Italy)

In Cocullo, a small village in central Italy, the traditional religious rite of San Domenico involves the annual capture and temporary exhibition of wild non-venomous snakes, primarily Elaphe quatuorlineata, Zamenis longissimus, and Hierophis viridiflavus. In 2010 a citizen science project was launched to monitor the captured snakes and evaluate the sustainability of this practice and its potential conservation threats. Over 15 years, data on 1,505 individual snakes have been collected. This project also included PIT-tagging, improvements in temporary housing conditions, regular clinical checks and the release of the snakes at their original capture sites. The monitoring results suggest that based on the collected data, current practices are sustainable and underline the importance of continued survelliance. However, the need for comparative field studies has emerged. This study shows how local cultural traditions can be integrated with evidence-based conservation and long-term monitoring, providing a replicable model for managing human–wildlife interactions involving reptiles.