What to Do If You Encounter a Snake

During my time working for a state park, I was asked a lot of questions about nature. The top three questions I was asked were: 1) What types of snakes are here? 2) Are any of them venomous? And 3) What do I do if I encounter a snake?

A quick look around the internet confirms that there is a lot of misinformation about snakes in general (some of these snake myths are retold over and over again), and about what to do if you encounter a snake in particular. Seeing an unexpected snake in the wild can be difficult for those with snake phobias, but there is no need to panic. Here's what you should keep in mind if you encounter a snake:

What to Do if You Encounter a Snake: Don't Panic! The simplest advice for what to do when you encounter a snake is often the most difficult for many people. Those who are afraid of snakes may feel as though there is no option here, and there might not be for people with severe phobias. Keep in mind a few facts to help you keep your cool when you encounter a snake.

Most snakes in the United States are harmless. Not every snake is venomous; in fact most are completely devoid of venom. For example, in the state of Missouri, 85% of snake species are nonvenomous.

Snakes are not aggressive. Snakes will not chase you, or attack you. Snakes are defensive animals, and will only strike if there are absolutely no other options. So, if a snake can retreat, it will.

You are the bigger, more fearsome animal. You know that old adage, that snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them? It's true, even if it doesn't feel like it. Think about it: if a nonvenomous snake bites you, you will feel nothing more than the equivalent of a cat scratch. If you were to bite the snake, you'd easily kill it (not, of course, that you would ever bite a snake; I'm just making a comparison). In the state of Missouri, no one has ever been recorded to have died from a copperhead bite, yet copperheads are killed in backyards every summer. From an objective prospective, you are the threat when you encounter a snake, not the other way around. So, yes, snakes are afraid of you.

Snakes want to be left alone. As should be clear from the last fact, there is not a snake on earth that seeks out humans to terrorize. They just want to be left alone, and will readily flee if given the opportunity.

What to Do if You Encounter a Snake: Step Aside I've often been asked whether it is safer to run from a snake or try to chase it off. The answer is neither! The best thing to do when there is a snake in your path is to simple step aside. Move back a couple of steps, or give the snake a wide berth (at least 2/3 the length of the snake is a good estimate of how far you should stay back, as this is as far as most snakes can strike. So, for example, if you encounter a 6-foot snake, move back at least four feet) and walk around it.

If you step back and the snake does not move, stamp the ground with your foot (again, make sure you are far enough away). The vibration from your stamping will, in most cases, cause the snake to leave.

What Not to Do if You Encounter a Snake If you encounter a snake in the wild, do not attempt to handle it, approach it, throw things at it, chase it off, or kill it. Snakes want to be left alone, but they will defend themselves if they detect a threat. Most snake bites occur when people are handling snakes, and you are much, much better off leaving the animal alone.

In some cases, like when a venomous snake is in a heavily-populated area, the best thing you can do is keep an eye on it (from a distance) and call your local animal control office. Once again, do not attempt to handle or kill the snake, as this is how most bites occur. Keep children and animals away from the snake and wait for animal control to arrive and remove the snake.

More information about avoiding snakebite.

Sources:
Personal Experience
Texas Junior Naturalists
San Diego Museum of Natural History
Utah State University