What is the World Congress on Snakes 2026?

The World Congress on Snakes 2026 (WSC 2026) is the first-ever international conference dedicated exclusively to snake research, conservation, and education. It will be held October 1-4, 2026, in Kandy, Sri Lanka, bringing together leading ophiologists, herpetologists, and conservationists from around the world.

When and where is WSC 2026 taking place?

WSC 2026 will take place from October 1-4, 2026, at the Grand Kandyan Hotel in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Kandy is a UNESCO World Heritage city and a biodiversity hotspot.

What topics will be covered at the congress?

The congress will cover snake ecology, conservation, phylogeny, behavior, systematics, taxonomy, snakebite management, venomology, illegal wildlife trade, and human-wildlife coexistence. It includes keynote speeches, symposia, workshops, Sri Lanka & it's Herpetofaunas, and field trips.

Who should attend WSC 2026?

WSC 2026 is ideal for ophiologists, herpetologists, conservation biologists, researchers, students, wildlife practitioners, medical professionals working with snakebites, and anyone passionate about snake conservation and research.

How can I register for the congress?

You can register online through our website at https://www.worldsnakes26.com/registration/register-submit. Early bird registration offers discounted rates.

Tentative Schedule

30th Sept. 2026

08:30 – 18:00	Registration	Secretariat Office at Grand Kandyan Hotel
	Kandy City Tour

1st Oct. 2026

08:00 – 18:30	Registration	Secretariat Office at Grand Kandyan Hotel
08:30 – 08:35	Announcements	Ballroom
08:35 – 09:15	Opening Ceramony \| Arrival of Guests \| Lighting of the Oil Lamp \| National Anthem	Ballroom
09:15 – 09:20	Welcome Speech by Dr. Anslem de Silva - Congress Chairperson/Founding Partner	Ballroom
09:20 – 09:25	Speech by Dr. Dan Natusch - Founding Partner/IUCN SSC Snake Specialist Group	Ballroom
09:25 – 09:30	Speech by Dr. Stephen Spear- IUCN SSC Viper Specialist Group	Ballroom
09:30 – 09:35	Speech by Drs. Vinay Udyawer & Aaron Lobo-IUCN SSC Sea Snake Specialist Group	Ballroom
09:35 – 09:45	Speech by Dr. Shamen Vidanage - Country Representative, IUCN - Sri Lanka	Ballroom
09:45 – 10:00	Speech by the Chief Guest	Ballroom
10:00 – 10:20	Speech by the Guest of Honour	Ballroom
10:20 – 10:35	Book Launch	Ballroom
10:35 – 10:40	Vote of thanks	Ballroom
10:40 – 11:00	Tea Break	Ballroom
11:00 – 11:30	1st Plenary Session - Guardians on the ground: integrating community, conservation and snake bite mitigation Dr. Romulus Whitaker	Ballroom
11:30 – 12:00	2nd Plenary Session - Hinged on Local Understanding and Acceptance: Snake Conservation Throughout the New World Dr. Julie Ray	Ballroom
12:00 – 13:00	Oral Presentations (Nos. 1-3)	Ballroom
13:00 – 14:00	Lunch Break	Ballroom
14:00 – 16:00	Symposium 1: Emerging Science of Marine Snakes Chairs: Drs. Vinay Udyawer & Aaron Lobo, IUCN SSC Sea Snake Specialist Group	Ballroom
16:00 – 16:30	Tea break	Ballroom
16:30 – 18:30	Oral Presentations(Nos. 4-9)	Ballroom
18:30	End Day 1	-

2nd Oct. 2026

08:30 – 08:35	Announcements	Ballroom
08:35 – 11:30	Symposium 2: Current Issues and Case Studies in Viper Conservation Chair: Dr. Stephen Spear, IUCN SSC Viper Specialist Group	Ballroom
11:30 – 12:00	Tea break	Ballroom
12:00 – 12:30	3rd Plenary Session - Rare serpents as sentinels of changing rainforests: lessons from tropical Asia Prof. Indraneil Das	Ballroom
12:30 – 13:00	4th Plenary Session - Mapping hidden diversity: taxonomy as a tool for monitoring ecosystem change Prof. Aaron Bauer	Ballroom
13:00 – 13:30	Oral Presentations(Nos. 10-11)	Ballroom
13:30 – 14:30	Lunch Break	Ballroom
14:30 – 18:30	Symposium 3: Promoting Responsible Translocations of Displaced Reptiles and Amphibians Chairs: Drs. Pritpal Soorae & Axel Moehrenschlager, IUCN Conservation Translocation Specialist Group (Tea to be Served During the Session)	Ballroom
18:30	End Day 2	-

3rd Oct. 2026

08:30 – 08:35	Announcements	Ballroom
08:35 – 09:00	5th Plenary Session - Genomic sentinels: what snake genomes reveal about evolution and environmental change Dr. Jia Tang Li	Ballroom
09:00 – 09:30	6th Plenary Session - Allometric patterns and sexual dimorphism in snake skulls Dr. Bartosz Borczyk	Ballroom
09:30 – 10:00	Tea Break	Ballroom
10:00 – 13:30	Symposium 4: Ecology, Evolution and Conservation of Island Snakes Chairs: Drs. Julie Ray, the Founder and Director of Team Snake Panama, & Timothy Colston	Ballroom
13:30 – 14:30	Lunch Break	Ballroom
14:30 – 16:30	Symposium 4	Ballroom
16:30 – 17:00	Tea Break	Ballroom
17:00 – 18:30	Symposium 4	Ballroom
18:30	Group Photograph / End Day 3	Ballroom

4th Oct. 2026

08:30 – 08:35	Announcements	Ballroom
08:35 – 09:00	7th Plenary Session - Snakebite as a public health indicator: translating clinical toxinology into conservation Dr. Anjana Silva	Ballroom
09.00 – 09:30	8th Plenary Session - House of the Serpent: Century of Snake Husbandry and the Sustainability of Venom Production Dr. Taksa Vasaruchapong	Ballroom
09:30 – 10:30	Oral Presentations(Nos. 12-14)	Ballroom
10:30 – 11:00	Tea Break	Ballroom
11:00 – 14:00	Symposium 5: Human-Snake Conflict Chair: Dr. Gnaneswar Ch, Project Leader, Snake Conservation & Snakebite Mitigation Project	Ballroom
14:00 – 14:30	Lunch Break	Ballroom
14:30 – 15:30	Symposium 5	Ballroom
15:30 – 16:30	Oral presentations(Nos. 15-17)	Ballroom
16:30 – 17:00	Tea Break	Ballroom
17:00 – 18:00	Closing Remarks \| Closing Ceramony \| Auction	Ballroom
19:00 Onwards	Gala Dinner	Grand Kandian Hotel Premises

5th Oct. 2026

Whole day

Congress Excursion to the Knuckles: The Herping Tour

Note: Rest of the oral presentations and poster presentations will be available at the respective breakup rooms during 1st to 4th October 2026.