You’ve probably heard that bushmaster snakes are one of the most aggressive snakes in the world, but is it really true? I decided to do some deep research to find out for myself and was surprised at what I found!
Are Bushmaster Snakes Aggressive?
Bushmaster snakes are not aggressive if left alone. When threatened however, they’re regarded as one of the most aggressive snakes in the world, striking repeatedly and continuing to move forward even if you are retreating. Bushmasters live in remote areas and are rarely encountered, so are not often a direct threat to humans.
That being said, the tourism department in Panama goes so far as to warn tourists of this snake’s aggressive behaviors.
I want to reiterate that first sentence. “Bushmaster snakes are not aggressive if left alone”.
These snakes are renowned for their fiercely aggressive tendencies, but only when they are agitated or feel threatened.
They don’t hunt people, and would prefer for you to pass them by while they lie in wait for food.
Does This Mean A Bushmaster Will Chase You?
No, a bushmaster will not chase you, but here is why some people believe it will.
Most snakes have some sort of defensive posturing to warn you to stay away, and will only strike as a last resort.
If you back away, the snake may remain in its posture, but will not advance on you. And even if they do strike, there is still a good chance that it’s a warning strike, not intended to actually penetrate skin or deliver venom.
A bushmaster on the other hand will not merely stay in a defensive posture if it feels threatened.
Instead, it will often times bring the fight to you, charging forward instead of merely running away. And when they do bite, it is with intent nearly every time.
Despite that, if you run away from the snake it will not chase you or go after you to try and bite you.
As is true with most snakes, the bushmaster knows you are not food, and would prefer to just stay where it is while it waits for food to wander by. It will only become aggressive if disturbed, or if it feels threatened.
They simply don’t recognize your slow retreat as a reduced threat. This snake truly believes that a good defense is a strong offense!
Here’s an article I wrote that might interest you. It’s called Why Do Snakes Bite?
When Are Bushmasters Most Aggressive?
As ambush predators they can lie motionless for days, waiting for prey to come within striking range.
This means that instead of fleeing if it detects you coming nearer, it will merely stay in place, relying on camouflage to keep you unaware of its presence.
Bushmaster snakes are most aggressive when you do something to make them feel threatened.
Other Time Bushmasters Are More Likely To Be Aggressive
- When the mother is defending her nest. These snakes are oviparous, which means they lay eggs. The mother will stay with the nest and incubate the eggs, and will not leave the nest even to feed. She protects the nest.
- They can be aggressive if you try to handle them. There are plenty of videos of trained professionals handling bushmasters, and they make it look easy. The truth is these handlers have an in depth understanding of two things. 1. How to handle the snake without making it feel threatened. 2. How to read the body language of the snake to know its intent. Leave the handling of snakes to trained professionals!
- Watch out when they are shedding. When a snake sheds it’s skin, the scales covering it’s eyes is also shed. As these scales prepare to come off, they become opaque and greatly reduce the snakes ability to see. This can cause the snake to become more aggressive as it feels more vulnerable.
Are Bushmasters More Aggressive During The Day Or At Night?
Both!
Bushmasters are nocturnal which means they are active at night. They will sometimes move from one location to another for various reasons, and they will typically do this at night.
During the mating season males will follow the scent trail of a female, which is also done at night.
This means you are more likely to come across an active bushmaster at night.
On the flip side, snakes do sleep.
You are more likely to startle a sleeping bushmaster during the day, which could possibly make it feel threatened more easily.
How Many People Are Bitten By Bushmasters Each Year?
It is hard to give an accurate number since hospitals are not required to report instances of snake bites. Additionally, not all people who receive snake bites seek medical treatment.
With that in mind, there are actually very few reported bushmaster bites reported.
I would guess that the number of people bitten who don’t seek medical treatment would be very low too since this is an extremely venomous snake with a high mortality rate even with treatment.
So How Likely Are You To Be Bitten By A Bushmaster?
As I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, the chances of you actually being bitten by one of these snakes is pretty low.
Even if you were to find yourself walking along a trail in the Amazon, deep in bushmaster territory, you would have to practically step on one before it would bite you.
What To Do If You Are Bitten By A Bushmaster
Although we have shown that the chance of you ever being bitten is extremely low, you should still know what to do if it ever happens. The old myth of sucking the poison out is simply that; a myth.
Here are the steps to take if you are ever bitten by any venomous snake.
- The first thing to do is to get away from the snake so you don’t get bitten again. Bushmasters will continue to bite if you are in range.
- Don’t try catching the snake, but if possible you should get a picture of it from a safe distance. This can help the medical team determine the best course of action.
- Keep the wound clean and elevated to reduce the speed the venom travels and its overall effects.
- Do everything you can to remain calm. This can be the most challenging step for a lot of people, but you want to keep your heart rate from rising which will cause your blood (and with it the venom) to spread more quickly.
- Get medical treatment as fast as possible. Even bites from non-venomous snakes can cause infections, so seek professional medical help to keep yourself safe.
How Likely Are You To Die If Bitten
Even with antivenin and medical treatment, the mortality rate from a full bite is still high.
It’s not that the venom in these snakes is more potent than other pit vipers, it’s the fact that the bushmaster is known to deliver a LOT of venom in each bite.
As the largest pit viper in the world, these snakes have very large venom glands. With large venom glands comes an increased amount of venom, and these snakes will give you a good dose of it when they bite.
In Conclusion
Although bushmasters are widely known for their fierce and aggressive behaviors, they are actually fairly docile when left alone.
Despite their large size, they have one of the smallest mouth to body ratios in the pit viper family meaning they typically eat smaller prey.
Their preferred diet consists of rodents and small mammals.
Due to this they prefer to coil up and wait for prey in areas where these animals often forage for food such as under bushes. You’re not likely to find a bushmaster simply laying in the middle of a path.
Their aggressive tendencies when threatened, coupled with the high mortality rate if you are bitten has led to this being considered one of the deadliest snakes in the world, despite the fact that relatively few people are ever killed by them.