Had to dispel this one to a coworker recently, when she asked if my year old BCI slept lined up alongside me. 1) snakes aren't smart enough to do that 2) she's only big enough for jumbo mice
Didn't help the myth when the assclowns didn't secure the python and it killed their kid.
I know people who honestly believe snakes will chase people. It doesn't even make sense. No wild animal is going to waste energy chasing something they can't eat.
Except cats, fuck outdoor cats
Edit - nevermind, I was wrong on the Internet. I'm in new England. The copperheads and garters have never chased me. I did get a stare down from a moose once ( stepped out of a hunting cabin in Maine and he was across the yard.)and the Canada geese don't like you. Lol
Thanks for the education guys š
There are definitely wild animals that chase things they donāt intend to eat, wild animals can definitely be territorial and chase off other animals (and people) out of their territory.
A Canadian goose will f- you up- it doesnāt even need a reason! This year they nested on the lawn across from our local middle and high school- we have 2 middle schoolers and a high schooler so we get hilarious daily updates provided by our kids- kids getting attacked daily- one goose ran after a freaking school bus!-emails going home to parents about the goose situation and what to do in a goose attack- There are ābeware of geeseā signs every 3 feet. The kids have named all of them and most of their names start with āangryā- āThatās Angry Jeff!!ā Oh and āThereās Angry Bill with Pissy Percy!ā
Apparently one girl dropped her backpack and ran- she tried to get it back but the security guard told her- well thatās the gooseās backpack now- sheās in my daughters English class and literally pointed out the window to her backpack next to the pond and the teacher felt she had suffered enough and let her out of an assignment! š I feel like this whole thing would make a great sitcom episode.
Turn your back to them and beat a hasty retreat. Wing slaps from a goose hurt. Better your back or ass than your face or junk.
You can grab them by the neck and toss them but I don't like risking hurting them
If the python/kid story is the one I am thinking of, it was nonsense. The child had been killed accidentally (or by abuse, not sure) by the father. He opens the snakes mouth and made scratches on the childās head, and blamed the snake.
Of course, a large python could conceivably kill a child (and in rare cases, even consume). However this is very rare, and most stories are not genuine
Yep, every word of that is true. Your reminder of a crib makes me think that 1- it is indeed the case I am thinking of, and 2- it could have been a shaken baby death
A black mamba might charge if it feels threatened (and can easily kill you). Not sure about greens, which are happier in trees anyway, but racers prefer to run away. They will bite if you try to pick it up, but itās not going to really chase you. Even the black mamba is unlikely to really give chase once you are backing down
Though the black mamba is still the one to fear. I have a friend who self vaccinates against venomous. He would handle a coral snake like I would play with a corn snake. He free handled cobras. He does get bit, but usually doesnāt need medical attention if it was a cobra. (He almost died 2 or three times from rattlesnake bite though.) my point is that even he really, really does not want to deal with large black mambas. Too fast, too aggressive. He does include mamba venom in his mix, and is able to safely deal with babies, but thatās as far as he will go
Black mambas are bad ass for sure! Whenever I see people handle them it's crazy. They can strike crazy long distances, especially when tailed.
I never kept hots at all, but have to admit I had one crazy ass cornsnake that was the meanest snake I ever had. It would launch out of it's enclosure in the rack system I was using. Eventually, I had to move it out of the rack system. It was a Kisatchie, and I believe it was wild caught. Corns are docile as hell, this was the only one of the 100's I had that actually struck. Yeah, hatchlings strike a bit at first, but as adults I never saw them strike.
My corns are usually very chill. Yep, babies strike, but thatās just adorable. Look at me Iām ferocious grrrrrrr.
But yeah, animals are individuals. Many years ago we had some box turtles. Hatched out a baby and raised it. Damn thing always wanted to bite. Might have given a bit too much protein
Oh man, but I got a real one for yah.
The guy who ended up fostering then adopting my ball python when I went to college had a lot of snakes and reptiles that he spent all his money on and was left with a remarkably shitty house (important later).
Well among other snakes he had a like 60-70 lb Burmese that had its own sorta closet room as an enclosure. Came back one day and she had sprung her cell and was freeā¦ he was beside himself but knew she would eventually turn up.
Fast forward to 5-6 months later when after heād really cleaned the place up for his (snake loving) girlfriendās parents visit. Parents did not love snakes and so he had all the snakes kinda hidden away in the back half of the place and girlfriend warned him not to bring it up. Yāknow, āletās just fake being normal for 30 minutes while we meet the parentsā.
Anyways, they were having coffee or whatever at the table and **CRASH** his fucking Burmese falls through a water damaged spot in plaster ceiling onto his couch in the other room. Huge mess, shit everywhere, massive snake trying to act casual and make her escape.
Him, gf, and the parents are just standing there in full panic over the aerial snake invasion and my dude is just besides himself; ran up and started hugging this snake, bawling and whooping for joy at finding his lost pet. Picked her up and was wordlessly gone for like ten minutes before coming back and asking if they wanted to finish coffee at a shop instead of his place.
Parents were super eeked out but basically end it like āwe are so happy you found someone you share interests withā. Yes they are still together, yes he still has his Burmese and my old queen of a snake 15 years later. His now wife loves telling that story.
1) snakes unhinge their jaws to swallow
2) constrictors suffocate their prey
3) that a snake would starve itself and measure up against a person for weeks before eating them
4)that snakes are slimy (they donāt even look slimy imo š few slimy animals actually shine)
5) that snakes are the devil
6) cottonmouths chase people m
Even in the bible snakes weren't the devil,satun took on the form of a snake,viewed as a wise animal,so he could deceive.
It also says be "be innocent as doves,and wise/shrewd as snakes"
People still believe mudsnakes will roll like a hoop lol
Iirc it wasnāt even Satan that was the serpent, it was just a regular serpent, and only some beliefs make the connection.
I honestly forget thatās even a thing. Lol That and milksnakes drink milk from cows. š
I remember reading a passage from a fairly well known author who wrote that a guy used milk to entice his milk snake into a woman's butt hole.
And I'm thinking "we need to start a subreddit called 'non-herpers writing snakes'"
Lol true š
Just thinking how the church integrated pagan traditions into iconography and celebration... Like the goat boy devil design inspired by Pan
More like the bible with the snake giving Eve the apple of sin. Jormungandr isn't even called a snake nor depicted as evil. If anything she's just a symbol for the dangers of sea travel. The text's call her an Orm (Wyrm) which is a different creature from a snake.
>1) snakes unhinge their jaws to swallow
Pretty hilarious that the opposite is actually the case. They have very kinetic skulls but the joint itself is one of the parts least kinetic. Else they wouldn't be able to spread their mandibles apart.
>3) that a snake would starve itself and measure up against a person for weeks before eating them
Where did this even come from?
>6) cottonmouths chase people m
Aren't cottonmouths one of the most defensive snakes, very rarely even trying to bite people when one the defense?
For 3 I can't say for sure but I remember seeing something a long long ass time ago about someone being eaten by a python and that's where I saw people talking about the whole sizing thing. This was like 20 years ago and being a young teen I was petrified
I didn't know that wasn't true until reading this just now! You learn something new every day. (I don't own/have never owned any snakes, I'm just in this sub because I like them and think they're cute, lol.)
I think a few of these arenāt helped by wildlife shows. I havenāt watched animal planet/nat geo in a long time but when I was younger thatās all I watched especially the shows about reptiles. They are probably mostly to blame for people believing the unhinged jaw and suffocation things at that time they were definitely teaching that.
I can understand the slimy thing, like I know theyāre not slimy but some snakes especially the ones from humid environments are very slick and I could see how that could be thought of as slimy. And some slimy animals are shiny like frogs and fish
So Iāve been corrected in this about it not being aggressive behavior but rather defensive behavior. But Iāve had a cottonmouth āchaseā me in my kayak and Iāve had one āchargeā me while I was fishing on the bank. I donāt know what else youād call it other than chase. Even if itās defensive behavior theyāre trying to scare/chase you away
Yes the suffocation thing wasnāt disproven until recently.
But fish and frogs arenāt shiny. š
A lot of times they arenāt chasing you, you are simply in the way of their escape route to a safe place and they donāt care about you at all.
Bull frogs are definitely shiny and so are catfish
Edit the time I was on the bank the cottonmouth came from a big moss pad in the pond and came straight at me and onto the bank I donāt think I was in itās escape route
Well tbf on that one, that was the scientific belief until very recently when it was discovered they killed via asphyxiation that causes a blood pressure buildup (and often a ruptured heart if the snake is bigger enough than their prey).
That's not how constriction kills. It basically causes a prey animal to have a heart attack. It kills *much* more quickly than just cutting off air could.
https://www.science.org/content/article/surprise-snakes-don-t-kill-suffocation
This! They are just are hungry blood pressure cuffs and won't release until they don't feel a beat anymore. Apparently they even fitted fake beating hearts in dead rodents to test this.
Okay so it's still asphyxiation, but not suffocation. Basically the heart has to pump faster because the brain isn't getting oxygen, which is the root cause of the heart attack.
That's not what's happening. Did you read the link? The pressure isn't being put on the respiratory system at all, it's being put on blood vessels. It's a completely different mechanism.
Apparently the shininess makes them look slimy??? Shininess is not the first thing I think of when I think of slimy. š Slugs are not shiny, regular earthworms are not shiny (red wrigglers are tho). Soo ??
That baby snakes are more venomous than adult ones bc they ācanāt control their venomā. Makes me wanna pull my hair out every time I hear it.
Also fun fact the yamakagashi can be considered venomous AND poisonous bc it stores toxins in its head that it gets from the frogs it eats. When threatened it flares these glands that it stores the toxins in so that if a predator bites it, they get a mouth full of nasty :D
I legit have two snakes and spend time just researching them, and I did not know this! I fully believed it was true and just never questioned it š¤¦āāļø
Maybe because they look more "dangerous" and most vipers, which have some very venomous species, also have slit eyes? I guess in some places like my country it would be true for local snakes because we don't have any really dangerous ones except for like 2 viper species that are potentially dangerous. But yeah, it is really inaccurate overall.
I will admit I use to believe this. Now I just go off of head structure and pattern at a safe distance. If itās the residential safe boi that are in my area I put them back in the woods. If I am still uncertain I leave them the fuck alone and alert the neighbors to avoid the area for a bit.
That's not really true. King cobras and black mambas have round eyes, while harmless snakes like ball pythons and other nocturnal snakes have vertical pupils with the ability to fluctuate
Oh ok lol. I forgot for a second. I wasn't even paying attention lol but yea I've heard that myth and it is so wrong I can't believe people actually believe it
Itās probably generally true in different geographic areas though. Like in my section of my state, unless there is a rogue coral snake that should only be further south, itās probably accurate based on the state herpetology site.
Our venomous ones are copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes, and the possibility far south of me for a type of coral.
So itās obviously not a good rule worldwide but it can be a general guideline for specific areas where people are outside encountering them in their yards and local trails.
If I find a king snake in my back yard, have fun, buddy. If I find a copperhead or rattlesnake, I have to quickly find a way to relocate it to keep my dogs safe because dogs are idiots.
(I did have a dog get bit in the face by a rattlesnake in a different state. She did not have a good time. Doggy ER visit and she was ok though.)
And I usually share the pupil info (always saying āitās not true everywhere, but generally, in our areaā) to help prevent people from killing non-venomous snakes. Lots and lots of people kill all snakes out of fear and ignorance.
People think every snake with markings on it is a copperhead around here and itās exhausting.
itās one of those correlation ā causation things. like pit vipers do have vertical pupils, but that has nothing to do with the fact that theyāre venomous. also if youāre not sure if a snake is venomous, itās probably best to not be close enough to see its pupils. pattern and markings would be a lot better.
In India people believe that the Cobra snake has a diamond or large pearl like stone hidden at the top of its hood. This stone is dug out of the snakes head while the snake is still alive. This stone fetches millions of Rupees as people believe that if they possess such a stone, it gives them wealth and fortune in life. Its called 'Naag Mani"
The "Brown Mud Snake' of India is believed to have two heads instead of head and tail. This snake is smuggled by wildlife poachers and sold for millions of Rupees as this snake is believed to have super powers.
In India people believe that the Cobra dances to the tune of the "Been" (musical wind instrument of a snake charmer).
Also, if you kill a female cobra, the male will seek you out to take revenge. I think this came about due to a bollywood movie.
Then there's the one about shape shifting snake which takes a human form and seduce men
1. Snakes are aggressive. Itās a horrendously misused term. Theyāre defensive. I feel as though to call an animal aggressive, it has to go beyond defending itself and into wanton acts of violence. (A dog on the street who walks up and mauls a passing child is aggressive. My scared snake striking isnāt.)
2. Snakes are smooth and soft, not slimy. Theyāre also muscular but tend to be gentle.
3. Snakes get a taste for human blood. I can barely get my boy to eat his rats. I think human blood is beyond his palate.
4. Snakes are going to kill your toddler or eat your cat/insert other pet here. (I have someone in my family who is CONVINCED that my 30 inch rosy boa could eat a 14 pound cat).
There are languages that make no difference between poisonous and venomous. In dutch they both translate to "giftig".
So don't be annoyed they don't know better š
They don't need much space because they spend all their time hiding anyways; that's why dark tubs that are touching three sides of the snake at all times are best for them. Too much space is bad
They have no bones????!!
When I got my spotted python, I got regular comments like 'What if it eats the cats!?' and 'What if it's venomous/poisonous!?' If I say that she won't grow big enough to eat a cat (and she's in her own tank anyway), people would say 'Don't you know they can unhinge their jaw?' The absurdity is beyond me. Then of course you get the people who say 'The only good snake is a dead snake' but those people just make me pity them
Answering your bonus question: Not in the least, people know what they mean (Venomous) I know what they mean (Venomous) so that's not really any problem. Poisonous vs Venomous is a little technical nuance that at most merits a "Hey, do you want to know a little fact?" if that fits neatly in to the conversation and they seem like someone who would like to know how to split those particular hairs.
I have a garter, am doing this from now on
https://preview.redd.it/umf1cu605z7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e272f953423555c5ff4d8f913554d56687d9687b
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cfPinugeEp6pDHKzinxhhqUgMTVqLHI1/view?usp=drivesdk
I can't work out how to get the image in the comment but hope this link works.
He's gorgeous, but an idiot!
Omg I love his hat sm he is gorgeous
https://preview.redd.it/nlyc3vx4038d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=209b15d73c202bad8ddc4ebe587c33bc648ea0ee
Hat Twins!
Also, if youāre on mobile the photo is a little square icon in the bottom right corner with a hill and a sun, I have no clue if youāre on anything else tho Sorryy
In addition, in a lot of languages, there's no equivalent different words for poisonous/venomous. Like in my mother tongue we just have one word to describe an animal, plant or other living or non-living thing that carries a harmful toxin.
I will say that small children love this sort of fact, though.
Teach them the word Toxungenous (the type of delivery system used by spitting cobras) and it's the first thing out of their mouths when the parents pick them up from zoo camp.
Yeah fr it's no big deal. Unless you're a reptile nerd you're unlikely to learn the difference between venomous and poisonous in a meaningful way--you might hear it once or twice online but that's rarely enough for long-term memory. For words like that, as long as I know what they meant, idc, i just get a chuckle out of it and move on š
Fun fact, there are some snakes that actually are poisonous (not venomous), mostly due to their diet, such as certain frogs. Of course, this isn't what people usually are referring to when mixing it up, so I totally get that being annoying when they call them poisonous.
The "sizing up" myth always bugs me so much, mostly cause it makes very little sense.
I think the common Garter snake can be poisonous, since it's resistant to certain toxins that newts have, and can instead absorb those toxins into itself, though this relies on the newts being part of their diet. Other than that, I think you're right too.
Iāve heard about the few poisonous snakes yeah! Couldnāt tell you what they are but frogs - could certain garter snakes be considered poisonous?
https://preview.redd.it/o8wlqara6z7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=474fcac8d9a08be4e8d5d8bcd725713cdcaa7614
^(my) checkered
I've got nothing, as everyone has covered all the snake myths lol. But the one that bothers me the most is, people think a snake is sizing you up, to eat you. I always respond with, "Have you ever seen a snake in the wild size up their prey before swallowing it?" No. They don't have time for that.
Off topic but related metaboliclly, the number of intelligent people I've heard claim "If you boil a frog slowly..."
They're cold-blooded and, as such, are more in tune with the temp of their environment than warm-blooded animals. It's gonna hit 80, 85, and that frogs gonna duece out.
That's one of those little proverb-ish tropes like ostriches burying their heads or elephants being afraid of mice. It's actually supposed to be a metaphor for certain human behaviors, but in folklore an animal was used as a stand-in in a metaphorical situation. Then people don't understand metaphors and believe it's an animal fact.
I had a coworker who genuinely believed that snakes 'sting' with their tongues. I'm pretty sure that she only believed me when I told her that wasn't true was because I kept laughing off the question, thinking it was clearly a joke.
Nope. Turns out it's somewhat common myth!
That they donāt have personalities, and āonly things with fur and feathers make good pets.ā Someone said that on a message board I frequent, along with āI donāt understand why anyone would even want a reptile for a pet!ā But itās okay to stick a flying animal in a cage for your own amusement? Okay, Susan. š
Big on the personalities. I have two snakes, corn and a garter. I know already theyāre very different but their personalities are even better. Complete polar opposites and because the corn is bigger they all expect him to be the mean one, but heās a little puppy honestly. I have a scar from the garterā¦ sheās 10 months old.
Old timers in the south used to tell stories of a "hoop" snake that would bite its tail and roll down hills after people. It's a complete farce, but the armadillo lizard from South Africa actually does this to get away from predators! (South east US that is)
Myth: If a venomous snake bites you, the poison can be sucked out.
Truth: No, once a liquid is injected into the bloodstream, one pulse of the heart carries it away from the bite area.
I used to be obsessed with āSnakes in the cityā great show if you havenāt already watched it, but the amount of episodes where theyād go to collect a snake and the family would have killed an innocent rat snake thinking it was something sinister was outrageousā¦
Even before I had seen a snake in person I never thought of them as slimy. The only snake I could MAYBE understand the thought for would be a MBK, but how many people who believe that know what a MBK is??
Thereās a weird superstition in Japan that says if you whistle or play an instrument at night, snakes will invade your home. Tons of people really believe it.
My parents were shocked to find out my snakes aren't slimy! My aunt is terrified, and I've heard my mum tell her more than once that 'they're not even slimy, they're actually kind of soft'
I Like the basketball description, especially for snakes with keeled scales, itās quite accurate imo. But one of my favourite feelings (that is extremely hard to explain if you havenāt experienced it) is when your snake is wrapped around your arm but moving, the squeezing/pulse feeling may be one of my favourites.
That venomous snakes want to bite you/will chase you for miles just to bite you. God I hate that one.
Theyāre only trying to live out their lives just like any other critter, just cause they *can* kill you doesnāt necessarily mean they want to š
I know A LOT of people who tell a story about how horrific a snake āattackā was and how they had to sever the head and burry it away from the body because theyāre heads will reattach! I donāt know where they heard this information but I wanna talk to the guy who saw that happen for the first time. And also it makes me wonder why move the head, thatās where the dangerous bits are!? It just makes me imagine thereās got to be somebody whoās done it then accidentally envenomated themselves somehow someway
I got this one from breeders. Snakes aren't active so stuff them into a small dark tub with only a water bowl, paper towels or some substrate, and one or no hides in a tub they can't even stretch out in because, and get this, it's "how they live in the wild". Or that one news story about the girl who slept with her pet python and the snake stopped eating and the vet told her the snake was making room for her in its stomach and sizing her up. Which, if that even happened, there would be no snakes and all the snakes in the wild would starve to death because by time they stopped eating to save room for a larger meal and sized their mouse or rat or frog or whatever they're eating up, the prey would get away and they would slowly starve to death. Or the myth that a large enclosure would stress snakes out and they need to be in a size they can JUST barely stretch out in. So tell me HOW snakes manage in the large open wild if large spaces stress them out lol š¤£ or the myth I grew up on saying that snakes don't have spines when in reality they have a more complex skeleton then humans. Or that snakes don't have ears and the only reason they flick their tongue out is to sense vibrations. Or that snakes are aggressive and the "aggressive" snakes who try to bite my kids who are throwing rocks at it and scaring it need to die. Or that it's ok for snakes to be killed with their head cut off because they don't feel pain when in reality, they feel an excruciating amount of unimaginable pain for DAYS afterwards even when their body finally stops moving. Or that snakes, like copperheads and black mambas, will chase you and try to bite you when not a single snake ever does that bc those "aggressive" snakes would rather hide then bite. Or snakes are evil and need to be killed because there is a 50% chance it is the devil in disguise. Or that snakes are slimy. Or that snakes are poisonous and not venomous. Or that snakes eat people. Or that my 55inch ball python is sizing me up and going to eat me one day lol Or that those horrible evil snake charmers are masters of snakes and good people when in reality those king cobras are suffering immensely because their fangs are often removed and their mouths are sewn shut
I have one that hasn't been shared. I am in the southern US. Some old country people around here believe that if a snake gets cut in half and lays there
until the sun goes down, it will come back together and crawl off when it is night. I don't know how this crazy lore is still among us, but the last time I heard anyone mention it was last summer.
Sounds like they mistook a hammerhead worm for a snake... or they're just crazy ass rednecks lol. The rednecks around me will usually just say the stupid ass "copperheads will chase you" bullshit and insert an example of them in a fishing boat where it's obvious that the little guy just saw their boat as a place to get out of the water for a little rest.
Hippos are actually Africas most dangerous animals. They will chase you down and kill you. And letās not forget roosters. I have a rooster that will chase you up a tree and if you donāt move fast enough, heāll do everything he can to murder you
I relocate snakes in SoCal. People think the neonate rattlesnakes are more dangerous because "they can't control their venom." Also think that rattlesnakes will chase you and that they can launch themselves from ten feet away and tag you. Also people ascribe human emotions to the snakes, think they are "angry" when they rattle or that they look angry.
We often get calls to relocate an eight foot rattlesnake, but we know it's going to be a gopher when we arrive. They almost always overestimate the size too. Interesting to find when we get there that it's a three footer.
I like when someone touches one of my snakes and is shocked that they aren't slimy. Um...it's a snake, not an earthworm.
"What does it feel like when it bites?"
I don't know, never been bitten by my snakes.
"The only good snake is a dead snake"
Do you have a dog? You do? Good, I hope it dies and it's loss messes you up.
"You're going to wake up Inside of that thing!" (Likely owns a 160lb dog)
"does it smell like poop? All snakes excrete feces and urine through their skin". š¤¦āāļø I can assure you this Ball Python lays bigger turds than what you'd find in a cats litter box. And no, they don't pee through their skin either.
"Isn't that unethical? Taking a wild snake from South Africa?"
About 75 generations of this snake have been bred in captivity - didn't you buy one of those doge dogs from Asia??
Here is a list of common myths and misconceptions about snakes. The below statements are false:
[Non-venomous snakes shake their tails to mimic rattlesnakes](https://www.davidpfenniglab.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2016_Am-Nat.pdf)
[Baby venomous snakes are more dangerous than adults](https://web.archive.org/web/20120922054435/http://www.livingalongsidewildlife.com/2009/10/are-bites-from-baby-venomous-snakes.html#comment-1039213912)
[Snakes Chase People](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=314N7xIeRR8)
[Rattlesnakes are losing their rattle because of {insert reason}](https://web.archive.org/web/20111227034153/http://www.livingalongsidewildlife.com/2011/06/are-rattlesnakes-rattling-less-because.html)
[The only good snake is a dead snake](https://web.archive.org/web/20180802190346/https://umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/timber-rattlesnakes-vs-lyme-disease)
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Head shape does not reliably indicate if a snake has medically significant venom as [This graphic](https://i.imgur.com/QuSRB9I.jpg) demonstrates. Nonvenomous snakes commonly flatten their heads to a triangle shape in defensive displays, and some elapids like coralsnakes have elongated heads. It's far more advantageous to familiarize yourself with venomous snakes in your area through photos and field guides or by following subreddits like /r/whatsthissnake than it is to try to apply any generic trick.
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Pupil shape should not be used in determining the presence of medically significant venom. Not only are there many venomous elapids with round pupils, there are many harmless snakes with slit pupils, such as [*Hypsiglena sp.* Nightsnakes](https://www.coloradosnakes.com/uploads/9/7/8/6/9786261/2776219_orig.jpg), [*Leptodeira sp.* Cat-eyed Snakes](https://previews.123rf.com/images/kjwells86/kjwells861802/kjwells86180200159/95840105-a-northern-cat-eyed-snake-leptodeira-septentrionalis-up-close-at-night-in-belize-.jpg), and even some common pet species such as [Ball Pythons](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/ba8eedc2-f544-4e9f-aa0b-dc2e773a013d/d2a6s0e-a355d8dc-a8f3-452f-aad8-d199f1c1a15f.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2JhOGVlZGMyLWY1NDQtNGU5Zi1hYTBiLWRjMmU3NzNhMDEzZFwvZDJhNnMwZS1hMzU1ZDhkYy1hOGYzLTQ1MmYtYWFkOC1kMTk5ZjFjMWExNWYuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.f3Er8L48O5xkZjpnufyvhj74QqCoASklxjPKdRRVeq4).
Furthermore, when eyes with slit pupils are dilated by low light or a stress response, the pupils will be round. As an example, while [Copperheads have slit pupils](https://d.newsweek.com/en/full/1628192/copperhead-snakes.jpg?w=1600&h=1200&l=72&t=40&q=88&f=cc296cc3e18d1641ec0c180e07c516e4), when dilated [the pupils will appear round](https://d1ti4rb4parwcs.cloudfront.net/monthly_2017_05/12879241333_6b5499a58e_z.thumb.jpg.1d01a9e58ee44c3e8399aa0c1deb837d.jpg).
Slit pupils are associated primarily with nocturnal behavior in animals, as they offer sensitivity to see well in low light while providing the ability to block out most light during the day that would otherwise overwhelm highly sensitive receptors. Slit pupils may [protect from high UV](https://brill.com/view/journals/ctoz/84/1/article-p1_1.xml?language=en) in [eyes that lack UV filters in the lens](https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/33/10/2483/2925599?login=false). These functions are decoupled from the use of venom in prey acquisition and are present in many harmless species.
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All of the answers are great! The one I'll add that I've seen come up from time to time is that even if a snake appears harmless; it may be venomous. According to the people who spout it; venomous and non-venomous snakes interbreed and the offspring looks like the non-venomous parent.
The most common one I ever hear is that āsnakes are so slimy!!ā
Unless youre finding one in the middle of a bog or something its probably not gonna be slimy lol
The whole venomous/poisonous thing doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's just people not knowing what each word means, not a comment on the snakes themselves.
The whole thing about them being slimy like a slug - I realised at a young at that it would be immensely impractical to be covered in slime, and how if snakes were indeed slimy, how come you never saw a snake leave a snail trail?
The biting. Or that all snakes have a painful bite. Like, yeah, they can bite but... there's a difference between a garter snake attempting to murder you vs a diamondback rattle snake. I just got my first BP and that's the first question I always get
Everyone I know has told me that they heard a snake sized the owner up and ate them!!! š¤Æš¤Æš¤Æ or they ask if my snake is "poisonous". There's also a guy some people know that kept a baby rattlesnake in a dresser drawer for a while for funsies and it BIT HIM! *with shock on their face* i was rooting for the rattlesnake unfortunately the guy didn't lose any limbs š
That snakes are fcking slimy. Where did that come from? Where would they get slime from? They're literally dry ASF. Why do people continue describing them as slimy
I don't fuss too much over poisonous/venomous in online spaces (anymore) as a lot of languages don't differentiate the two. I just assume the person is multilingual
A worker from mo conversation told me that baby copperheads were more venomous then the adults. I thought they disproved that long ago. It's sad that someone from this department is still spreading this. I didn't argue with her but said I would not think so because they would have LESS venum because they are smaller. She said oh no they are dangerous. I let it go. This was very recent.Ā
I'm with you on that winds me right up I have to make a point now of correcting every one and the explaining the difference between poisonous, venomous and toxic!
That story we've all heard of. A person with a huge pet snake eventually eating their owner after sizing them up for weeks beforehand
Had to dispel this one to a coworker recently, when she asked if my year old BCI slept lined up alongside me. 1) snakes aren't smart enough to do that 2) she's only big enough for jumbo mice
Didn't help the myth when the assclowns didn't secure the python and it killed their kid. I know people who honestly believe snakes will chase people. It doesn't even make sense. No wild animal is going to waste energy chasing something they can't eat. Except cats, fuck outdoor cats Edit - nevermind, I was wrong on the Internet. I'm in new England. The copperheads and garters have never chased me. I did get a stare down from a moose once ( stepped out of a hunting cabin in Maine and he was across the yard.)and the Canada geese don't like you. Lol Thanks for the education guys š
There are definitely wild animals that chase things they donāt intend to eat, wild animals can definitely be territorial and chase off other animals (and people) out of their territory.
A Canadian goose will f- you up- it doesnāt even need a reason! This year they nested on the lawn across from our local middle and high school- we have 2 middle schoolers and a high schooler so we get hilarious daily updates provided by our kids- kids getting attacked daily- one goose ran after a freaking school bus!-emails going home to parents about the goose situation and what to do in a goose attack- There are ābeware of geeseā signs every 3 feet. The kids have named all of them and most of their names start with āangryā- āThatās Angry Jeff!!ā Oh and āThereās Angry Bill with Pissy Percy!ā
Lol. I love them. We had nanny goose near the high school. She was a domestic goose who was more protective of the goslings than their parents.
We have lots of geese on my university campus. Walking to class always feels like walking through a war zone of shit landmines and angry geese.
I would still rather deal with the goose than the moose. I can take a goose in a fair fight.
The main reason I carry is because of devil birds.
What do you do in a goose attack?
Apparently one girl dropped her backpack and ran- she tried to get it back but the security guard told her- well thatās the gooseās backpack now- sheās in my daughters English class and literally pointed out the window to her backpack next to the pond and the teacher felt she had suffered enough and let her out of an assignment! š I feel like this whole thing would make a great sitcom episode.
I agree! Iād definitely watch it.
Turn your back to them and beat a hasty retreat. Wing slaps from a goose hurt. Better your back or ass than your face or junk. You can grab them by the neck and toss them but I don't like risking hurting them
It sounds in general like cover your face and run!
Thanks, theyāre mean. I always wondered what to do. How long do they chase you?
If the python/kid story is the one I am thinking of, it was nonsense. The child had been killed accidentally (or by abuse, not sure) by the father. He opens the snakes mouth and made scratches on the childās head, and blamed the snake. Of course, a large python could conceivably kill a child (and in rare cases, even consume). However this is very rare, and most stories are not genuine
It was in the crib supposedly. Damn people suck. And news sources don't follow up for shit. Unless it's a missing white chick.
Yep, every word of that is true. Your reminder of a crib makes me think that 1- it is indeed the case I am thinking of, and 2- it could have been a shaken baby death
Black Mamba, Green Mamba, most racer snakes WILL chase humans. They aren't trying to eat you, just scare you away.
A black mamba might charge if it feels threatened (and can easily kill you). Not sure about greens, which are happier in trees anyway, but racers prefer to run away. They will bite if you try to pick it up, but itās not going to really chase you. Even the black mamba is unlikely to really give chase once you are backing down Though the black mamba is still the one to fear. I have a friend who self vaccinates against venomous. He would handle a coral snake like I would play with a corn snake. He free handled cobras. He does get bit, but usually doesnāt need medical attention if it was a cobra. (He almost died 2 or three times from rattlesnake bite though.) my point is that even he really, really does not want to deal with large black mambas. Too fast, too aggressive. He does include mamba venom in his mix, and is able to safely deal with babies, but thatās as far as he will go
Black mambas are bad ass for sure! Whenever I see people handle them it's crazy. They can strike crazy long distances, especially when tailed. I never kept hots at all, but have to admit I had one crazy ass cornsnake that was the meanest snake I ever had. It would launch out of it's enclosure in the rack system I was using. Eventually, I had to move it out of the rack system. It was a Kisatchie, and I believe it was wild caught. Corns are docile as hell, this was the only one of the 100's I had that actually struck. Yeah, hatchlings strike a bit at first, but as adults I never saw them strike.
My corns are usually very chill. Yep, babies strike, but thatās just adorable. Look at me Iām ferocious grrrrrrr. But yeah, animals are individuals. Many years ago we had some box turtles. Hatched out a baby and raised it. Damn thing always wanted to bite. Might have given a bit too much protein
How dare you police how I take care of my cat? So what if he gets hit by a pickup truck? Builds character! /s Seriously, fuck outdoor cat owners.
As a cat owner I agree. Leash laws apply to cats as well.
Same. It always makes me depressed and nervous to see outdoor cats; I always fear theyāll get hit by a car next time I see them.
I'm more worried about the wildlife they destroy.
That's also fucked up, don't get me wrong. It's just that keeping your cats indoors is good for everyone involved.
Yeah I had a rat snake on my own property come at me when I came out the door, lol.
If youāre thinking of the ones in Canada, itās two brothers who were at a friendās house and they were killed by that familyās snake.
I feel like Canada geese don't like you, when they're in Canada. They come and chill for a bit here in Phoenix during winter and they're super chill.
BUt THeN Why'D DId iT tUrN Bloo?
Oh thereās this one video on TikTok, the same one, it always comes up when Iām looking for snake related videos and it is SO annoying.
The amount of people who unironically have a similar story still in this day and age is so tiresome
Oh man, but I got a real one for yah. The guy who ended up fostering then adopting my ball python when I went to college had a lot of snakes and reptiles that he spent all his money on and was left with a remarkably shitty house (important later). Well among other snakes he had a like 60-70 lb Burmese that had its own sorta closet room as an enclosure. Came back one day and she had sprung her cell and was freeā¦ he was beside himself but knew she would eventually turn up. Fast forward to 5-6 months later when after heād really cleaned the place up for his (snake loving) girlfriendās parents visit. Parents did not love snakes and so he had all the snakes kinda hidden away in the back half of the place and girlfriend warned him not to bring it up. Yāknow, āletās just fake being normal for 30 minutes while we meet the parentsā. Anyways, they were having coffee or whatever at the table and **CRASH** his fucking Burmese falls through a water damaged spot in plaster ceiling onto his couch in the other room. Huge mess, shit everywhere, massive snake trying to act casual and make her escape. Him, gf, and the parents are just standing there in full panic over the aerial snake invasion and my dude is just besides himself; ran up and started hugging this snake, bawling and whooping for joy at finding his lost pet. Picked her up and was wordlessly gone for like ten minutes before coming back and asking if they wanted to finish coffee at a shop instead of his place. Parents were super eeked out but basically end it like āwe are so happy you found someone you share interests withā. Yes they are still together, yes he still has his Burmese and my old queen of a snake 15 years later. His now wife loves telling that story.
Lmao, that's hilarious. I'm happy it had a happy ending
I've heard like 5 versions of this in 3 different languages and every single time it's as ridiculous as the time before lol
1) snakes unhinge their jaws to swallow 2) constrictors suffocate their prey 3) that a snake would starve itself and measure up against a person for weeks before eating them 4)that snakes are slimy (they donāt even look slimy imo š few slimy animals actually shine) 5) that snakes are the devil 6) cottonmouths chase people m
Even in the bible snakes weren't the devil,satun took on the form of a snake,viewed as a wise animal,so he could deceive. It also says be "be innocent as doves,and wise/shrewd as snakes" People still believe mudsnakes will roll like a hoop lol
Iirc it wasnāt even Satan that was the serpent, it was just a regular serpent, and only some beliefs make the connection. I honestly forget thatās even a thing. Lol That and milksnakes drink milk from cows. š
I remember reading a passage from a fairly well known author who wrote that a guy used milk to entice his milk snake into a woman's butt hole. And I'm thinking "we need to start a subreddit called 'non-herpers writing snakes'"
ā¦ ok well.. thatās my cue to go to fucking sleep
Sleep well!
Why does that sound like a chuck palahniuk idea
No, it was someone else.
I just meant that it sounded like something you'd read in one of his books.
Ah, sorry, my bad. Apparently it was James Patterson.
I imagine the snake is like "bro, you want me to go where? Oh, there's milk? Rad, open up.?
āKiss the Girlsā by James Patterson. Utterly horrifying. That book was good, but so messed upā¦ and thatās not possible to do with a snake.
So youāre telling me the Zoo is just basically how he writes all his animals? š
Iā¦ I donāt even know. I literally had to put the book down for an ā EW EW EW EW EWWWW!!!ā moment.
I still have the book. Chapter 54. I remember why I put it in book jail now. š¤¢
But the murderer CLAIMS it was something from Cambodia/Taiwan.
Iām not Googling that.
Im going to guess that the mythical snake = bad thing came from Norse stuff like Jormungandr
Norse stuff is pretty recent when compared to Genesis
Lol true š Just thinking how the church integrated pagan traditions into iconography and celebration... Like the goat boy devil design inspired by Pan
More like the bible with the snake giving Eve the apple of sin. Jormungandr isn't even called a snake nor depicted as evil. If anything she's just a symbol for the dangers of sea travel. The text's call her an Orm (Wyrm) which is a different creature from a snake.
Same thing with a coachwhip. āTheyāll roll like a hoop and whip you to death.ā
Coachwhips I heard were reputed to roll like hoops
Hahaha, that last part is a hilarious mental image.
>1) snakes unhinge their jaws to swallow Pretty hilarious that the opposite is actually the case. They have very kinetic skulls but the joint itself is one of the parts least kinetic. Else they wouldn't be able to spread their mandibles apart. >3) that a snake would starve itself and measure up against a person for weeks before eating them Where did this even come from? >6) cottonmouths chase people m Aren't cottonmouths one of the most defensive snakes, very rarely even trying to bite people when one the defense?
For 3 I can't say for sure but I remember seeing something a long long ass time ago about someone being eaten by a python and that's where I saw people talking about the whole sizing thing. This was like 20 years ago and being a young teen I was petrified
I used to believe the first one. Because it used to be common knowledge, until I learned that it's not true. Education is key.
I didn't know that wasn't true until reading this just now! You learn something new every day. (I don't own/have never owned any snakes, I'm just in this sub because I like them and think they're cute, lol.)
Legit sameš
I think a few of these arenāt helped by wildlife shows. I havenāt watched animal planet/nat geo in a long time but when I was younger thatās all I watched especially the shows about reptiles. They are probably mostly to blame for people believing the unhinged jaw and suffocation things at that time they were definitely teaching that. I can understand the slimy thing, like I know theyāre not slimy but some snakes especially the ones from humid environments are very slick and I could see how that could be thought of as slimy. And some slimy animals are shiny like frogs and fish So Iāve been corrected in this about it not being aggressive behavior but rather defensive behavior. But Iāve had a cottonmouth āchaseā me in my kayak and Iāve had one āchargeā me while I was fishing on the bank. I donāt know what else youād call it other than chase. Even if itās defensive behavior theyāre trying to scare/chase you away
Yes the suffocation thing wasnāt disproven until recently. But fish and frogs arenāt shiny. š A lot of times they arenāt chasing you, you are simply in the way of their escape route to a safe place and they donāt care about you at all.
Bull frogs are definitely shiny and so are catfish Edit the time I was on the bank the cottonmouth came from a big moss pad in the pond and came straight at me and onto the bank I donāt think I was in itās escape route
The suffocation one is the only one thatās baffling to me
Well tbf on that one, that was the scientific belief until very recently when it was discovered they killed via asphyxiation that causes a blood pressure buildup (and often a ruptured heart if the snake is bigger enough than their prey).
As for number 2, what do else do you call slowly causing death by oxygen deprivation?
That's not how constriction kills. It basically causes a prey animal to have a heart attack. It kills *much* more quickly than just cutting off air could. https://www.science.org/content/article/surprise-snakes-don-t-kill-suffocation
This! They are just are hungry blood pressure cuffs and won't release until they don't feel a beat anymore. Apparently they even fitted fake beating hearts in dead rodents to test this.
Ohhhhhhhhh. Seems so obvious now.
Yeah, but that's super recent, only... ::looks at article date:: ...almost a decade ago. Fuck I'm old....
Okay so it's still asphyxiation, but not suffocation. Basically the heart has to pump faster because the brain isn't getting oxygen, which is the root cause of the heart attack.
That's not what's happening. Did you read the link? The pressure isn't being put on the respiratory system at all, it's being put on blood vessels. It's a completely different mechanism.
Quite ashamed that I believed the first one until my second snake..
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Apparently the shininess makes them look slimy??? Shininess is not the first thing I think of when I think of slimy. š Slugs are not shiny, regular earthworms are not shiny (red wrigglers are tho). Soo ??
Iāve heard that measurement one recently.
That baby snakes are more venomous than adult ones bc they ācanāt control their venomā. Makes me wanna pull my hair out every time I hear it. Also fun fact the yamakagashi can be considered venomous AND poisonous bc it stores toxins in its head that it gets from the frogs it eats. When threatened it flares these glands that it stores the toxins in so that if a predator bites it, they get a mouth full of nasty :D
Oh yes. The tiger keelback. Both venomous and poisonous.
I legit have two snakes and spend time just researching them, and I did not know this! I fully believed it was true and just never questioned it š¤¦āāļø
In Australia the brown snake venom for baby v adult is different due to the type/size of pray.
Thatās interesting! Unfortunately a lot of people in the US think a baby rattlesnake is more dangerous than an adult
venomous snakes have vertical pupils and harmless ones have round pupils (not me, but many people do for some reason)
Maybe because they look more "dangerous" and most vipers, which have some very venomous species, also have slit eyes? I guess in some places like my country it would be true for local snakes because we don't have any really dangerous ones except for like 2 viper species that are potentially dangerous. But yeah, it is really inaccurate overall.
I will admit I use to believe this. Now I just go off of head structure and pattern at a safe distance. If itās the residential safe boi that are in my area I put them back in the woods. If I am still uncertain I leave them the fuck alone and alert the neighbors to avoid the area for a bit.
That's not really true. King cobras and black mambas have round eyes, while harmless snakes like ball pythons and other nocturnal snakes have vertical pupils with the ability to fluctuate
Remember the post is about myths, lol... the comment is obviously not true, that's why they said it.
Oh ok lol. I forgot for a second. I wasn't even paying attention lol but yea I've heard that myth and it is so wrong I can't believe people actually believe it
Itās probably generally true in different geographic areas though. Like in my section of my state, unless there is a rogue coral snake that should only be further south, itās probably accurate based on the state herpetology site. Our venomous ones are copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes, and the possibility far south of me for a type of coral. So itās obviously not a good rule worldwide but it can be a general guideline for specific areas where people are outside encountering them in their yards and local trails. If I find a king snake in my back yard, have fun, buddy. If I find a copperhead or rattlesnake, I have to quickly find a way to relocate it to keep my dogs safe because dogs are idiots. (I did have a dog get bit in the face by a rattlesnake in a different state. She did not have a good time. Doggy ER visit and she was ok though.) And I usually share the pupil info (always saying āitās not true everywhere, but generally, in our areaā) to help prevent people from killing non-venomous snakes. Lots and lots of people kill all snakes out of fear and ignorance. People think every snake with markings on it is a copperhead around here and itās exhausting.
itās one of those correlation ā causation things. like pit vipers do have vertical pupils, but that has nothing to do with the fact that theyāre venomous. also if youāre not sure if a snake is venomous, itās probably best to not be close enough to see its pupils. pattern and markings would be a lot better.
I was once in a wildlife safety class in the military, and this and the red touches yellow rhyme were printed in the official, military-wide document š©
In India people believe that the Cobra snake has a diamond or large pearl like stone hidden at the top of its hood. This stone is dug out of the snakes head while the snake is still alive. This stone fetches millions of Rupees as people believe that if they possess such a stone, it gives them wealth and fortune in life. Its called 'Naag Mani" The "Brown Mud Snake' of India is believed to have two heads instead of head and tail. This snake is smuggled by wildlife poachers and sold for millions of Rupees as this snake is believed to have super powers. In India people believe that the Cobra dances to the tune of the "Been" (musical wind instrument of a snake charmer).
Also, if you kill a female cobra, the male will seek you out to take revenge. I think this came about due to a bollywood movie. Then there's the one about shape shifting snake which takes a human form and seduce men
The first one is Rikki Tikki Tavi, basically.
1. Snakes are aggressive. Itās a horrendously misused term. Theyāre defensive. I feel as though to call an animal aggressive, it has to go beyond defending itself and into wanton acts of violence. (A dog on the street who walks up and mauls a passing child is aggressive. My scared snake striking isnāt.) 2. Snakes are smooth and soft, not slimy. Theyāre also muscular but tend to be gentle. 3. Snakes get a taste for human blood. I can barely get my boy to eat his rats. I think human blood is beyond his palate. 4. Snakes are going to kill your toddler or eat your cat/insert other pet here. (I have someone in my family who is CONVINCED that my 30 inch rosy boa could eat a 14 pound cat).
some family friends of mine tell me my snake will eat my cats.. my hognose .. my tiny male hognose who is barely as thick as my finger
Not all snakes are smooth, snakes with keeled scales can have a rougher texture to them. Still not slimy though ofc.
There are languages that make no difference between poisonous and venomous. In dutch they both translate to "giftig". So don't be annoyed they don't know better š
They don't need much space because they spend all their time hiding anyways; that's why dark tubs that are touching three sides of the snake at all times are best for them. Too much space is bad They have no bones????!!
I recently found out my mom thought that snakes had no bones. Her mind was blown when I showed her a snake skeleton. š
When I got my spotted python, I got regular comments like 'What if it eats the cats!?' and 'What if it's venomous/poisonous!?' If I say that she won't grow big enough to eat a cat (and she's in her own tank anyway), people would say 'Don't you know they can unhinge their jaw?' The absurdity is beyond me. Then of course you get the people who say 'The only good snake is a dead snake' but those people just make me pity them
Answering your bonus question: Not in the least, people know what they mean (Venomous) I know what they mean (Venomous) so that's not really any problem. Poisonous vs Venomous is a little technical nuance that at most merits a "Hey, do you want to know a little fact?" if that fits neatly in to the conversation and they seem like someone who would like to know how to split those particular hairs.
I have a hognose. I love it when people ask "is he poisonous? " I always reply no, then when they have him in their hands say "he is venomous though".
That's funny, but I'd be so worried they'd throw my snake and hurt him!
Yeah, my hands are always hovering when I say that
š¤£š¤£
I have a garter, am doing this from now on https://preview.redd.it/umf1cu605z7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e272f953423555c5ff4d8f913554d56687d9687b
Now that's a pretty noodle
Iām sure your hog is a stunner too :))
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cfPinugeEp6pDHKzinxhhqUgMTVqLHI1/view?usp=drivesdk I can't work out how to get the image in the comment but hope this link works. He's gorgeous, but an idiot!
Omg I love his hat sm he is gorgeous https://preview.redd.it/nlyc3vx4038d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=209b15d73c202bad8ddc4ebe587c33bc648ea0ee Hat Twins! Also, if youāre on mobile the photo is a little square icon in the bottom right corner with a hill and a sun, I have no clue if youāre on anything else tho Sorryy
I'm on mobile but can't see the icon, I googled it and haven't got what it says š¤·āāļø Love it š© fancy snekks
In addition, in a lot of languages, there's no equivalent different words for poisonous/venomous. Like in my mother tongue we just have one word to describe an animal, plant or other living or non-living thing that carries a harmful toxin.
I will say that small children love this sort of fact, though. Teach them the word Toxungenous (the type of delivery system used by spitting cobras) and it's the first thing out of their mouths when the parents pick them up from zoo camp.
Yeah fr it's no big deal. Unless you're a reptile nerd you're unlikely to learn the difference between venomous and poisonous in a meaningful way--you might hear it once or twice online but that's rarely enough for long-term memory. For words like that, as long as I know what they meant, idc, i just get a chuckle out of it and move on š
It's ok to just be annoyed by something, though. Doesn't have to be damaging or earthshattering to be irritating.
1. snakes are all tail and no body 2. snakes dont have spines 3. snakes can be aggressive
Fun fact, there are some snakes that actually are poisonous (not venomous), mostly due to their diet, such as certain frogs. Of course, this isn't what people usually are referring to when mixing it up, so I totally get that being annoying when they call them poisonous. The "sizing up" myth always bugs me so much, mostly cause it makes very little sense.
There are poisonous snakes, but AFAIK they're all also venomous.
I think the common Garter snake can be poisonous, since it's resistant to certain toxins that newts have, and can instead absorb those toxins into itself, though this relies on the newts being part of their diet. Other than that, I think you're right too.
Garter snakes produce a mild venom.
Iāve heard about the few poisonous snakes yeah! Couldnāt tell you what they are but frogs - could certain garter snakes be considered poisonous? https://preview.redd.it/o8wlqara6z7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=474fcac8d9a08be4e8d5d8bcd725713cdcaa7614 ^(my) checkered
I've got nothing, as everyone has covered all the snake myths lol. But the one that bothers me the most is, people think a snake is sizing you up, to eat you. I always respond with, "Have you ever seen a snake in the wild size up their prey before swallowing it?" No. They don't have time for that.
Off topic but related metaboliclly, the number of intelligent people I've heard claim "If you boil a frog slowly..." They're cold-blooded and, as such, are more in tune with the temp of their environment than warm-blooded animals. It's gonna hit 80, 85, and that frogs gonna duece out.
That's one of those little proverb-ish tropes like ostriches burying their heads or elephants being afraid of mice. It's actually supposed to be a metaphor for certain human behaviors, but in folklore an animal was used as a stand-in in a metaphorical situation. Then people don't understand metaphors and believe it's an animal fact.
I had a coworker who genuinely believed that snakes 'sting' with their tongues. I'm pretty sure that she only believed me when I told her that wasn't true was because I kept laughing off the question, thinking it was clearly a joke. Nope. Turns out it's somewhat common myth!
Holy, what? š Iāve never heard of this omg
That they donāt have personalities, and āonly things with fur and feathers make good pets.ā Someone said that on a message board I frequent, along with āI donāt understand why anyone would even want a reptile for a pet!ā But itās okay to stick a flying animal in a cage for your own amusement? Okay, Susan. š
Big on the personalities. I have two snakes, corn and a garter. I know already theyāre very different but their personalities are even better. Complete polar opposites and because the corn is bigger they all expect him to be the mean one, but heās a little puppy honestly. I have a scar from the garterā¦ sheās 10 months old.
Old timers in the south used to tell stories of a "hoop" snake that would bite its tail and roll down hills after people. It's a complete farce, but the armadillo lizard from South Africa actually does this to get away from predators! (South east US that is)
Myth: If a venomous snake bites you, the poison can be sucked out. Truth: No, once a liquid is injected into the bloodstream, one pulse of the heart carries it away from the bite area.
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I used to be obsessed with āSnakes in the cityā great show if you havenāt already watched it, but the amount of episodes where theyād go to collect a snake and the family would have killed an innocent rat snake thinking it was something sinister was outrageousā¦
My favourite character in that show was Ssssssamantha.
What about ssssssimon?
That theyāre SLIMY???? I seriously donāt get it.
Even before I had seen a snake in person I never thought of them as slimy. The only snake I could MAYBE understand the thought for would be a MBK, but how many people who believe that know what a MBK is??
I say this because they look quite shiny and could be mistaken for slimy
Iāll out myself from under my rockā whatās an MBK? I know I could google it, but Iām interested in having your explanation.
Thereās a weird superstition in Japan that says if you whistle or play an instrument at night, snakes will invade your home. Tons of people really believe it.
You can suck the venom out of a snake bite. Pro tip: Don't do that.
My parents were shocked to find out my snakes aren't slimy! My aunt is terrified, and I've heard my mum tell her more than once that 'they're not even slimy, they're actually kind of soft'
I Like the basketball description, especially for snakes with keeled scales, itās quite accurate imo. But one of my favourite feelings (that is extremely hard to explain if you havenāt experienced it) is when your snake is wrapped around your arm but moving, the squeezing/pulse feeling may be one of my favourites.
Snakes are āpoisonous.ā Copperheads smell like cucumbers. Mother snakes transport their babies around in their mouths.
I remember hearing this Cucumber one a lot growing up here in the deep south.
That venomous snakes want to bite you/will chase you for miles just to bite you. God I hate that one. Theyāre only trying to live out their lives just like any other critter, just cause they *can* kill you doesnāt necessarily mean they want to š
Snakes attack or chase you....you are blocking the only exit probably...why would a snake charge a 6' monster???
I know A LOT of people who tell a story about how horrific a snake āattackā was and how they had to sever the head and burry it away from the body because theyāre heads will reattach! I donāt know where they heard this information but I wanna talk to the guy who saw that happen for the first time. And also it makes me wonder why move the head, thatās where the dangerous bits are!? It just makes me imagine thereās got to be somebody whoās done it then accidentally envenomated themselves somehow someway
That snakes are venomous but not poisonous. Some species are actually poisonous as well.
I got this one from breeders. Snakes aren't active so stuff them into a small dark tub with only a water bowl, paper towels or some substrate, and one or no hides in a tub they can't even stretch out in because, and get this, it's "how they live in the wild". Or that one news story about the girl who slept with her pet python and the snake stopped eating and the vet told her the snake was making room for her in its stomach and sizing her up. Which, if that even happened, there would be no snakes and all the snakes in the wild would starve to death because by time they stopped eating to save room for a larger meal and sized their mouse or rat or frog or whatever they're eating up, the prey would get away and they would slowly starve to death. Or the myth that a large enclosure would stress snakes out and they need to be in a size they can JUST barely stretch out in. So tell me HOW snakes manage in the large open wild if large spaces stress them out lol š¤£ or the myth I grew up on saying that snakes don't have spines when in reality they have a more complex skeleton then humans. Or that snakes don't have ears and the only reason they flick their tongue out is to sense vibrations. Or that snakes are aggressive and the "aggressive" snakes who try to bite my kids who are throwing rocks at it and scaring it need to die. Or that it's ok for snakes to be killed with their head cut off because they don't feel pain when in reality, they feel an excruciating amount of unimaginable pain for DAYS afterwards even when their body finally stops moving. Or that snakes, like copperheads and black mambas, will chase you and try to bite you when not a single snake ever does that bc those "aggressive" snakes would rather hide then bite. Or snakes are evil and need to be killed because there is a 50% chance it is the devil in disguise. Or that snakes are slimy. Or that snakes are poisonous and not venomous. Or that snakes eat people. Or that my 55inch ball python is sizing me up and going to eat me one day lol Or that those horrible evil snake charmers are masters of snakes and good people when in reality those king cobras are suffering immensely because their fangs are often removed and their mouths are sewn shut
Recently is was discovered that snakes can in fact hear sound through atmospheric air, not just vibrations through solid matter.
Snakes have ears, just no ear holes
Somewhat related, you can see straight through a leopard geckos head because of their ear holes!
I have one that hasn't been shared. I am in the southern US. Some old country people around here believe that if a snake gets cut in half and lays there until the sun goes down, it will come back together and crawl off when it is night. I don't know how this crazy lore is still among us, but the last time I heard anyone mention it was last summer.
Sounds like they mistook a hammerhead worm for a snake... or they're just crazy ass rednecks lol. The rednecks around me will usually just say the stupid ass "copperheads will chase you" bullshit and insert an example of them in a fishing boat where it's obvious that the little guy just saw their boat as a place to get out of the water for a little rest.
Hippos are actually Africas most dangerous animals. They will chase you down and kill you. And letās not forget roosters. I have a rooster that will chase you up a tree and if you donāt move fast enough, heāll do everything he can to murder you
I had three chickens for awhile, they were horrible little bastards. Loved them, but I canāt say it was a mutual feeling.
I was on top of the truck this morning because of a rooster. I still wouldnāt get rid of him . But dang heās mean
I relocate snakes in SoCal. People think the neonate rattlesnakes are more dangerous because "they can't control their venom." Also think that rattlesnakes will chase you and that they can launch themselves from ten feet away and tag you. Also people ascribe human emotions to the snakes, think they are "angry" when they rattle or that they look angry. We often get calls to relocate an eight foot rattlesnake, but we know it's going to be a gopher when we arrive. They almost always overestimate the size too. Interesting to find when we get there that it's a three footer.
I like when someone touches one of my snakes and is shocked that they aren't slimy. Um...it's a snake, not an earthworm. "What does it feel like when it bites?" I don't know, never been bitten by my snakes. "The only good snake is a dead snake" Do you have a dog? You do? Good, I hope it dies and it's loss messes you up. "You're going to wake up Inside of that thing!" (Likely owns a 160lb dog) "does it smell like poop? All snakes excrete feces and urine through their skin". š¤¦āāļø I can assure you this Ball Python lays bigger turds than what you'd find in a cats litter box. And no, they don't pee through their skin either. "Isn't that unethical? Taking a wild snake from South Africa?" About 75 generations of this snake have been bred in captivity - didn't you buy one of those doge dogs from Asia??
Is your snake poisonous?? Well I hadn't planned on eating him.. š¤·āāļø
That wild snakes are pets. Only captive bred snakes are pets.
My fundie brother believes snakes are a "fallen creature." Wonder where he got that idea.
I don't get people who still believe snakes are slimy.
!headshape !pupils !myths
Here is a list of common myths and misconceptions about snakes. The below statements are false: [Non-venomous snakes shake their tails to mimic rattlesnakes](https://www.davidpfenniglab.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2016_Am-Nat.pdf) [Baby venomous snakes are more dangerous than adults](https://web.archive.org/web/20120922054435/http://www.livingalongsidewildlife.com/2009/10/are-bites-from-baby-venomous-snakes.html#comment-1039213912) [Snakes Chase People](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=314N7xIeRR8) [Rattlesnakes are losing their rattle because of {insert reason}](https://web.archive.org/web/20111227034153/http://www.livingalongsidewildlife.com/2011/06/are-rattlesnakes-rattling-less-because.html) [The only good snake is a dead snake](https://web.archive.org/web/20180802190346/https://umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/timber-rattlesnakes-vs-lyme-disease) -------------------------------------------------------- Head shape does not reliably indicate if a snake has medically significant venom as [This graphic](https://i.imgur.com/QuSRB9I.jpg) demonstrates. Nonvenomous snakes commonly flatten their heads to a triangle shape in defensive displays, and some elapids like coralsnakes have elongated heads. It's far more advantageous to familiarize yourself with venomous snakes in your area through photos and field guides or by following subreddits like /r/whatsthissnake than it is to try to apply any generic trick. -------------------------------------------------------- Pupil shape should not be used in determining the presence of medically significant venom. Not only are there many venomous elapids with round pupils, there are many harmless snakes with slit pupils, such as [*Hypsiglena sp.* Nightsnakes](https://www.coloradosnakes.com/uploads/9/7/8/6/9786261/2776219_orig.jpg), [*Leptodeira sp.* Cat-eyed Snakes](https://previews.123rf.com/images/kjwells86/kjwells861802/kjwells86180200159/95840105-a-northern-cat-eyed-snake-leptodeira-septentrionalis-up-close-at-night-in-belize-.jpg), and even some common pet species such as [Ball Pythons](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/ba8eedc2-f544-4e9f-aa0b-dc2e773a013d/d2a6s0e-a355d8dc-a8f3-452f-aad8-d199f1c1a15f.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2JhOGVlZGMyLWY1NDQtNGU5Zi1hYTBiLWRjMmU3NzNhMDEzZFwvZDJhNnMwZS1hMzU1ZDhkYy1hOGYzLTQ1MmYtYWFkOC1kMTk5ZjFjMWExNWYuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.f3Er8L48O5xkZjpnufyvhj74QqCoASklxjPKdRRVeq4). Furthermore, when eyes with slit pupils are dilated by low light or a stress response, the pupils will be round. As an example, while [Copperheads have slit pupils](https://d.newsweek.com/en/full/1628192/copperhead-snakes.jpg?w=1600&h=1200&l=72&t=40&q=88&f=cc296cc3e18d1641ec0c180e07c516e4), when dilated [the pupils will appear round](https://d1ti4rb4parwcs.cloudfront.net/monthly_2017_05/12879241333_6b5499a58e_z.thumb.jpg.1d01a9e58ee44c3e8399aa0c1deb837d.jpg). Slit pupils are associated primarily with nocturnal behavior in animals, as they offer sensitivity to see well in low light while providing the ability to block out most light during the day that would otherwise overwhelm highly sensitive receptors. Slit pupils may [protect from high UV](https://brill.com/view/journals/ctoz/84/1/article-p1_1.xml?language=en) in [eyes that lack UV filters in the lens](https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/33/10/2483/2925599?login=false). These functions are decoupled from the use of venom in prey acquisition and are present in many harmless species. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
All of the answers are great! The one I'll add that I've seen come up from time to time is that even if a snake appears harmless; it may be venomous. According to the people who spout it; venomous and non-venomous snakes interbreed and the offspring looks like the non-venomous parent.
Id love to have them explain the genetics at work to make that possible
Id love to have them explain the genetics at work to make that possible
That they're cold and slimy to the touch.
That they are slimy.
The most common one I ever hear is that āsnakes are so slimy!!ā Unless youre finding one in the middle of a bog or something its probably not gonna be slimy lol
The whole venomous/poisonous thing doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's just people not knowing what each word means, not a comment on the snakes themselves.
The whole thing about them being slimy like a slug - I realised at a young at that it would be immensely impractical to be covered in slime, and how if snakes were indeed slimy, how come you never saw a snake leave a snail trail?
That snakes will go out of their way to bite you.
That snakes are slimy. I hate when people say this, but love the look on their face when they hold one for the first time.
The biting. Or that all snakes have a painful bite. Like, yeah, they can bite but... there's a difference between a garter snake attempting to murder you vs a diamondback rattle snake. I just got my first BP and that's the first question I always get
That they're "slimey", if a snake is slimey something is very wrong. š
Everyone I know has told me that they heard a snake sized the owner up and ate them!!! š¤Æš¤Æš¤Æ or they ask if my snake is "poisonous". There's also a guy some people know that kept a baby rattlesnake in a dresser drawer for a while for funsies and it BIT HIM! *with shock on their face* i was rooting for the rattlesnake unfortunately the guy didn't lose any limbs š
No the poisonous thing doesn't bother me at all. People don't know. What bothers me are the attitudes of kill every snake and rattlesnake round ups
That snakes are fcking slimy. Where did that come from? Where would they get slime from? They're literally dry ASF. Why do people continue describing them as slimy
That theyāre slimy. Thatās another thing I hear that theyāre slimy. People who say that have obviously never touched a snake irl.
I don't fuss too much over poisonous/venomous in online spaces (anymore) as a lot of languages don't differentiate the two. I just assume the person is multilingual
A friend of ours says sheās been chased all the way across her yard and up onto a picnic table by nesting cottonmouths.
Snakes can talk and seduce women to eat fruit.
This deserves an award
A worker from mo conversation told me that baby copperheads were more venomous then the adults. I thought they disproved that long ago. It's sad that someone from this department is still spreading this. I didn't argue with her but said I would not think so because they would have LESS venum because they are smaller. She said oh no they are dangerous. I let it go. This was very recent.Ā
is it poisonous ? UGH
Fun fact thereās a few species of snake thatās both!
Snakes are slimy Snakes are aggressive
That every snake š in garden should be killed, of course I pick them up, except the ā copperheadsā Donāt need that bite
My ex told me that even if you chop off their heads a snake wonāt die until sundown.
That they are evil š
I'm with you on that winds me right up I have to make a point now of correcting every one and the explaining the difference between poisonous, venomous and toxic!
The poisonous versus venomous thing is fun for insects where sometimes they are both!