ICMBio warns about snakes on Iguaçu Park trails

According to ICMBio, snakes are ectothermic animals—they need external heat to regulate their body temperature—and they use natural camouflage. For this reason, they seek open areas to warm up, requiring vigilance from anyone walking the trails.

The agency clarifies that not all snakes are venomous and that the animals do not initiate attacks on people, reacting only when they feel threatened. Upon spotting a snake, the visitor should back away slowly, avoid sudden movements, not try to touch or capture the animal, and inform a staff member of the concessionaire Urbia+Cataratas or ICMBio itself, so the technical team can safely manage and isolate the area.

In case of a bite, the park’s Visitor Center provides a first-aid clinic and access to antivenom, supplied free of charge by the Unified Health System (SUS).

Iguaçu National Park comprises 18 mapped trails across 14 municipalities in western Paraná. The concessionaire Urbia+Cataratas has scheduled, for October 15, the inauguration of a new Visitor Center in Céu Azul. For ICMBio, the presence of these animals reflects the health of the ecosystem—the park hosts more than a thousand Atlantic Forest fauna species and is recognized as a Natural World Heritage Site. Safe coexistence depends on visitors respecting an appropriate distance from wildlife.

Source: 100 Fronteiras https://100fronteiras.com/fauna/noticia/icmbio-alerta-para-presenca-de-serpentes-nas-trilhas-do-parque-nacional-do-iguacu