SNAKES 101: MYTHBUSTING

By Shantel Lewis, Products and Services Division Administrator

Few creatures instill more fear and are subject to more mythical misconceptions than snakes. Here are a few myths and truths about snakes.

Myth: Venomous snakes are out to get you (and bite you for no reason)
Truth: Snakes bite out of fear (being stepped on, being cornered, etc.) or to attack prey their size, such as a mouse or a bird. Venom creation requires energy and snakes, just like any other animal, strive to maintain all the energy they can. A snake bite can be avoided by being careful while walking around known venomous snake territory. Step carefully and if you come upon a venomous snake, do not give it a reason to strike (such as poking it!).

Myth: Snakes are slimy
Truth: Anyone who has held a snake knows that they are not at all slimy Snakes have hard, dry scales covering their entire body. Their ventral scales are specially designed to grip surfaces and their latitudinal and longitudinal muscles help with the well-known "slithering" motion. They shed their skin every few weeks but that process slows as they age and becomes every few months. A snake sheds in one piece, like a sock being rolled off your foot.

Myth: Snakes can squeeze you to death
Truth: Actually, yes, they can. But you're safe in Texas. Burmese and reticulate pythons have been known to suffocate their careless owners and, in a heartbreaking case brought to trial in 2011 in Florida, a 2 year old toddler was strangled to death by the family's pet python. However, these snakes are not native to Texas or the United States, for that matter. While their populations in the wild in Florida are growing to dangerous levels thanks to the shameful actions of people who buy them as exotic pets and then dump them when they become too large to manage, fortunately, this problem has not invaded Texas. Certainly people will operate outside of the law, but in Texas you must hold a license to own non-indigenous (species not native to Texas) venomous snakes and the following constrictors: African rock python (Python sebae), Asiatic rock python (Python molurus), green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), reticulated python (python reticulates), and southern African python (Python natalensis). While most of our state's native snakes are nonvenomous and rely on constriction to kill their supper, there are no snakes native to Texas that are even remotely large enough to squeeze you to death. As long as your outdoor adventures are within the Texas borders you're safe.

Ultimately, most wild snakes will do what they're programmed to do -- slither away quickly before being captured or, if captured, attempt to get out of your hands and back to a safe hiding place. As with all wildlife, respect the snake and the snake will respect you.

Shantel safely captured this photo of rattlesnake. If you come upon a venomous snake, do not give it a reason to bite.