Terms of Service

By using SnakeSpot ("the App"), you are legally agreeing to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not install or use the App.

1. Purpose and Nature of Service

SnakeSpot is a community-powered snake sighting alert platform designed solely for safety awareness. It provides geospatial mapping of reports, an educational AI-based identification assistant, and local rescue contact information. THE APP IS NOT A GUARANTEE OF SAFETY. It provides community-submitted information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, police, fire, or professional emergency rescue services.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, to use this App. If you are under the mandatory age of majority, you must have the permission and supervision of a parent or guardian to use SnakeSpot.

3. Absolute Disclaimer Regarding Species Identification

The App utilizes advanced AI models (such as Google Gemini) to provide probability-based species identification assistance for snake photos. • THE AI IS AN ASSISTANT, NOT AN EXPERT herpetologist. • ACCURACY IS NOT GUARANTEED. Image quality, lighting, and reflections significantly impact AI accuracy. • DO NOT RELY ON THE APP FOR IDENTIFICATION. There is a risk of the AI misidentifying a highly venomous species as a non-venomous one ("false negative"). • ALWAYS EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION. Treat EVERY snake as potentially dangerous, regardless of what the App says. If you see a snake, back away slowly and maintain a safe distance. DO NOT APPROACH OR ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE.

4. Community Responsibility and Prohibited Conduct

You agree to use the App responsibly to help protect the community. You are solely responsible for all content (photos, descriptions, location data) that you submit. PROHIBITED CONDUCT: You agree not to: • Submit knowingly false, deceptive, or prank snake sightings ("swatting"). • Submit photos that contain offensive content, violence, or reveal the identity of persons (e.g., license plates or faces). • Harass, bully, or intimidate other users through the report summary feature. • Encourage or document harm to animals in reports. We reserve the right to remove any content or suspend accounts that violate these guidelines without prior notice. FLAGGING AND CONTENT REMOVAL: We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for objectionable content or abusive users. All submissions are automatically screened by AI moderation before they appear on the map. Our AI reviews photos to verify they contain snake-related content and scans text for profanity, harassment, and personally identifiable information — rejecting or sanitizing violating content before it is published. If inappropriate content bypasses automated screening, users may flag it via our in-app support chat or website, and we commit to removing violating content within 24 hours of a verified report.

5. Emergency Service Directive

In the event of a snake bite, or a high-danger immediate threat: • ALWAYS CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES IMMEDIATELY. • Do not attempt to catch the snake to show medics. (Instead, use SnakeSpot to report it and assist medics only if safe to do so). • Do not rely solely on the App for emergency rescue; volunteers may not be available.

6. Snake Handler Connection Service

SnakeSpot is a free community platform that connects users with independent local snake handlers. We do not charge for this connection. Any fees, travel costs, or donations requested by the handlers are negotiated directly between you and the responder. We highly encourage supporting volunteer handlers for their time and expertise.

7. Privacy Policy Integration

By using SnakeSpot, you agree to the collection and use of your data as detailed in our Privacy Policy. Your geospatial location data (GPS) is shared publicly with the community via sighting reports on the map.

8. No Warranties and Limitation of Liability

SNAKESPOT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, SnakeSpot, its creators, developers, and volunteers are not liable for any: • Personal injury, death, or property damage; • Emotional distress; • Direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages; arising from: (i) your access to or use of the App; (ii) any content submitted by users; (iii) your interaction with, or avoidance of, any snake identified (correctly or incorrectly) by the App; (iv) reliance on AI identification data; or (v) response or failure to respond by emergency services or rescue volunteers contacted through the App. YOU USE SNAKESPOT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

9. Modifications

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.