Snake Myths

[greybanded]

Common Snake Myths

All of the statements listed below are false.

1. Snakes always travel in pairs. This is false. Exceptions to the rule: during breeding season (usually April-June) you may see males and females together.

2. Coral snakes have rear fangs. Coral snakes actually have front, fixed and grooved fangs which provide a primitive delivery of venom (compared to the pit viper).

3. Coral snakes can only bite small, thin areas. Coral snakes can bite anything its mouth can grip. Its mouth is larger than it appears.

4. Coral snakes have to chew to inject their venom. Coral snakes bite and hold on to inject their venom.

5. Cottonmouths cannot bite underwater. How do you think they catch water prey, such as fish?

6. Snakes always chase you when they are scared. If a snake comes quickly in your direction, it is most likely because it is confused. Its goal is to get away from you.

7. Most venomous snakes can jump at least 2 feet. Remember - snakes don't have legs! They can't jump.

8. Rattlesnakes can hear their rattle. It's difficult to hear when you don't have ears.

9. Snakes won't cross a hemp rope. Snakes don't care about ropes. They will cross anything they can get over.

10. Snakes spit. Not the ones in Texas. The clumps of foam-looking spittle found on blackberry bushes and vines in Texas are often thought to be "snake spit," but the fact is, this foam is produced by Spittle Bugs.

11. Venomous snakes have triangular heads. So do a great number of the NON-venomous. Most snakes have a triangular looking head. This is not a good way to determine between venomous and non-venomous.

12. It's definitely a rattlesnake... I heard it! Most snakes (both venomous and non-venomous) rattle their tails when startled and when hitting leaves, brush or anything its touching can resemble the sound of a rattlesnake.

	Cottonmouth Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) - Also known as a Water Moccasin.

[unluckyseventeen]

I don't know about #7... I've had a burmese jump off the bed before and bite my brother right in the neck. I witnessed it and although he wasn't 4 feet high, he was definitely all the way off the surface of the bed when he bit my brother.

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[TekWarren]

I to have seen snakes...not necessarily "jump" but hurl themselves in an intentional direction as part of a deffensive manuever.


is this another internet list??

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[Genevieve]

i suppose technicly the rattle snake could "hear" its rattle through vibrations

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[PointZero218]

"Snakes don't spit" Some Cobra's do? - Dunno about the ones in Texas though.

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[Fitch]

you know i went over to a friends place tonight and some guys were talking about coral snakes...and they mentioned that they could only bite in between your fingers and on your ears and junk....haha it made me laugh and i had to shut them down

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[wreckwriter]

Originally Posted by TekWarren

I to have seen snakes...not necessarily "jump" but hurl themselves in an intentional direction as part of a deffensive manuever.
is this another internet list??

I saw a one foot blood python come straight up, at least a foot, out of a sterlite tub, luckily I caught him. Agreed though, its unusual.

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[TekWarren]

Now that would be something to see! It must have been the "Neo" of the reptilian matrix :P

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[wreckwriter]

Originally Posted by TekWarren

Now that would be something to see! It must have been the "Neo" of the reptilian matrix :P

Scared the heck out of my wife, pretty much ensured that I'll never be able to get a blood, at least not without a fight

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[mouseboy]

Originally Posted by TekWarren

I to have seen snakes...not necessarily "jump" but hurl themselves in an intentional direction as part of a deffensive manuever.
is this another internet list??

I have actually saw of a species of snake the "jump" or more of a glide on animal planet. so i guess some can jump

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[Lfsabch]

dont they just lunge? and the momentum looks like they are jumping

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[Tom]

Here is one allot of non herp people get wrong and a few so called herp people to. LOL
All snakes have poison. "WRONG"
There is no snakes that has poison. Some snakes do have venom but not poison.
Take care
Tom

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[Fitch]

whenever i tell people that i have a boa constrictor...THE first thing they ask is does it have fangs?is it poisonous?

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[JuliusSqueezer]

There are snakes that fly, snakes with hair, snakes that eat plants, snakes that play dead, snakes that really are dead lol...None of these are myths. Sometimes truths are stranger than the myths.

[JuliusSqueezer]

come on nora...tell us about snakes with hair and snakes that eat plants

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[JuliusSqueezer]

Tentacled Snakes have been observed nibbling on tiny pieces of aquatic plantlife and algae on occasion. Their main diet is fish though.

Snake skin is made of keratin. So is hair. So technically any snake with hairlike apendages like file snakes, have hair. It could be also argued that bush viper's and eyelash viper's specialized scales are technically hair.

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[JuliusSqueezer]

In order for an organism to possess "fingernails" it must also possess "fingers" :P

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[Livia]

Spurs could be considered to be fingernails.

I've seen many a western diamondback throw itself in a strike. I'd hardly call it a jump, but it'll still make you move back a pace or two in a hurry.

Flying snakes don't fly, they glide... like flying squirrels.

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[JuliusSqueezer]

Fly , glide...same thing. I didn't expect you to believe they have little propellers

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[PythonGuy24]

About the jumping thing, isn't there a pit viper in South and Central America called the jumping viper. I saw something about it on Corwin's show and it definitly got off the ground.