Snake keeper in Lebanon...the story of a young man who breaks the barrier of fear to save snakes

Seeing a snake causes a feeling of fear for most people, but the matter is completely different for Lebanese reptile and amphibian expert Rami Khashab, who spent years getting to know these creatures, especially after his family moved in his childhood to the coastal village of Mansouri in Lebanon, which is rich in wildlife and the reptiles that he loves. Today, Khashab shares his explorations and information with more than 22,000 followers on Instagram.

Through his page on social media, “Herping Lebanon,” Khashab highlights reptiles and amphibians in their natural environments, whether for the purpose of exploration, photography, or scientific documentation, an activity known as “Herping.” But the page has also grown into a platform to spread awareness about these creatures, which face a lot of negative perceptions that often lead to their eradication.

Khashab said in an interview with the Ofoq News website in Arabic: “One of the fundamental and rooted beliefs widespread in Lebanon and the world is that all snakes are poisonous and want to harm humans, in addition to the fact that all their bites are fatal.” The Lebanese reptile and amphibian expert believed that out of about 30 species of snakes widespread in Lebanon, there are only three species capable of causing real harm to humans.

His love for reptiles reached the point where he became the person people turned to when they found a snake in their homes or orchards. The young Lebanese volunteer his time to go to these places and catch the snakes, which are usually harmless, in a safe way before releasing them back into the wild without harming them.

An unprecedented discovery. Khashab’s passion was not limited only to protecting snakes, but it also led him to contribute to several discoveries, the latest of which was a rare scientific discovery with his colleagues, which was the documentation of a Rogers Racer snake for the first time in Lebanon, specifically in the semi-desert region north of the Bekaa Valley in 2025. Khashab said about this discovery, the results of which were published in a study in late May of this year: “We did not expect to find anything because we were exploring the region.” "Winter outside of snake season."

Khashab saw the first evidence of the existence of this snake in 2018, when he found a skin left behind in the area. He said: “I deduced the sex of the snake at that time, but I could not determine the species.

For him, this discovery paves the way for identifying the whereabouts of these snakes and the extent of their distribution, allowing for an assessment of whether they are threatened or not. He said: "Unfortunately, the region is witnessing urban and agricultural expansion, which means that most of its wild animals are threatened in one way or another."

An indicator of the health of the environment: Snakes play an important role in maintaining environmental balance, and it is information that Khashab is keen to share, whether while giving lectures at universities or through his conversations with farmers, who witness the greatest amount of contact with reptiles due to the nature of their work. Khashab explained: “Snakes are among the most important creatures for controlling agricultural pests, such as mice, rats, rodents, insects, and others.”

These organisms are also an indicator of environmental health, due to their sensitivity to climate change, pollution and other environmental problems. Since his involvement in this field more than a decade ago, the Lebanese reptile and amphibian expert has noticed a difference in the level of awareness among people, and found that part of this is due to the role of social media sites in disseminating information.