Main image, a great-crested flycatcher. Inset, a snake bares its fangs. The flycatcher is one of a number of birds that line their nests with shed snakeskin because, a new study reports, it scares ...

As 2025 unfolds, we find ourselves in the Year of the Snake—a symbol of adaptability and resilience. These qualities, often symbolized by the snake's ability to shed its skin and start anew ...

Regulatory and disruptive variants in the CLCN2 gene are associated with modified skin color pattern phenotypes in the corn snake. Genome Biology, 2025; 26 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s13059-025-03539-0 ...

More information: Sophie A. Montandon et al, Regulatory and disruptive variants in the CLCN2 gene are associated with modified skin color pattern phenotypes in the corn snake, Genome Biology (2025).

The snake, which matches up with the years of people born in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025, is most commonly associated with intelligence, resilience and love, Lee said.

When a bird drapes its nest with snake skin, it isn't just making an interesting decor choice. Researchers find that for some birds, it keeps predators at bay.