Common Snake Myths

It's a testament to the allure of snakes that so many myths have sprung up around them. During my time working as a park naturalist I encountered many examples of snake lore, some common and some truly off the wall!

Here are a few of the most common snake myths, and the truth behind them:

Snakes are slimy

This couldn't be further from the truth! Snakes are reptiles, which means that they have dry, scaly skin. Often a snake's skin is made of smooth scales, making it appear shiny. Snakes are dry feeling and smooth or rough to the touch.

Amphibians have slimy skin, reptiles most certainly do not.

All snakes can kill you

A common snake myth is that all snakes carry a small amount of venom, and that all are potentially dangerous. In fact, only 10% of all snakes worldwide are venomous. Most snakes that a person will encounter are harmless, and simply want to be left alone.

Even common venomous snakes may not be as dangerous as you think. For example, guess how many people in the state of Missouri are recorded to have died from a copperhead bite. Give up? The answer is zero. That's not to say that the bites don't hurt, but death is extremely unlikely.

All venomous snakes have triangular heads

Many people use head shape as a way to determine if a snake is venomous. This is a bad idea, as many harmless snakes will flatten their heads when provoked, giving them the illusion of being triangular. There are also a good number of venomous snakes which have oval heads.

A much better way of determining whether a snake is venomous, is to simply be familiar with what the snakes in the area look like. Personally I'd rather be able to tell on sight than to get right up in a snake's face.

Snakes can jump up

I'm not sure how this common myth began, but when we think about it it simply makes no sense. Snakes lack legs, so how can they jump? It is impossible for a snake to do anything of the sort. They are also unable to coil and jump like a spring. Their bodies simply are not made for this.

Snakes will chase you

I've had many people swear to me that they have been chased by a rogue snake. This just doesn't happen. Snakes are not aggressive, they are defensive. Most snakes will attempt to escape from you when encountered, the others will attempt to hold their ground. Snakes do not actively defend their young, and they do not attempt to chase people away from dens.

What is probably happening in cases where people think they are being chased is that snakes are in the area and headed in the person's general direction. Often these snakes may not even be aware of the person. Occasionally someone may run from a snake (not a great idea, a better solution is simply to walk around the snake) and assume that the snake is following.

Mother snakes will swallow their young

A common myth states that mother snakes will, when threatened, swallow their young to protect them and later spit them back out. There are two big problems with this myth.

Snakes are not a prime example of maternal affection in the best of cases. Most generally eggs are laid and then abandoned. A snake going out of its way to protect its young is just a myth.

Physiologically speaking, it is impossible for a snake to do this anyway. Any swallowed item is eventually digested, not protected.

Babies are more dangerous than adults

Common belief states that the young of a venomous species carries more potent venom than an adult, and are therefore more dangerous. While venom potency varies greatly among species, one thing remains the same: the young have less venom than adults. Their venom is not more potent or greater in volume. Certainly be just as wary around young snakes, but don't think that they are more dangerous.

Snakes cannot bite underwater

I hear this myth a lot, especially from people in the Ozarks. This myth clears up once we stop to think about what cottonmouths (the species most widely attributed to this myth) and other water snakes eat. Cottonmouths are an aquatic species that eat mostly fish and frogs. If they could not bite underwater then they would starve. The same is true for every other species of water snake.

Snakes can "steal" milk

This myth is so common that it gave milk snakes their name. The myth states that snakes will sneak into barns at night and suck milk from the udders of cows. Milk isn't a part of any reptile's diet, as it is a source of nutrition for mammals. A snake would have no interest in milk.

Furthermore, the rows of small sharp teeth that snakes have would make it unlikely that any cow would stand for it.

Hoop snakes

This myth is probably my favorite, just based on the sheer humor of it. The myth goes that there are certain snakes which will bite their tails and roll down hills in a hoop to escape danger. It is simply anatomically impossible for any snake to do so.