Contrary to some myths and stories, snakes will not chase you just to bite you out of anger, nor will they seek you out to bite. They would rather get away if possible.
Why do snakes bite? Snakes bite for two main reasons. The first and most obvious is to catch and kill prey. If they mistake you, or a part of your body for prey, they will bite. The second reason snakes bite is for defense. When they feel threatened or cornered, they will bite to defend themselves.
My son and I debated this question for awhile, which is what prompted me to write this article.
We looked at all the scenarios where snakes are prone to bite. In all of them, we were able to narrow down the root cause of the bite to these two scenarios; food or defense.
This article will explain why this is, and debunk some of the myths surrounding snakes.
Will A Snake Bite You For No Reason?
The stories that make the news most often, are the ones that have the best chance of shocking you. Man gets bitten by snake in his sleep! Girl gets bitten by snake while walking through her yard! Teen gets bitten by snake while taking out the trash!
The headlines don’t convey the whole story though.
Will a snake bite you for no reason? Snakes will not bite you for no reason. There is always an underlying cause. By learning to recognize what snakes view as prey, and what snakes view as danger, you can potentially avoid being bitten. What may seem like aggressive behavior to you is either a mistake by the snake, or the snake fearing being killed.
Snakes are not aggressive. They are defensive.
Why Will A Snake Bite You Instead Of Running Away?
Almost any article you read that describes the behavior of a specific snake species will include something along the lines of, “This snake is normally docile, and prefers to get away from people rather than face a confrontation.”
Then you read an article about someone who was bitten while sitting at a picnic table, or some other innocent activity. I even read an article once about a boy who was bitten on the back by a black mamba while sitting on a rock minding his own business!
Those stories certainly don’t make it seem as if the snake was simply trying to get away. In fact they make the snake sound down right aggressive, and looking for someone to bite!
The fact is, these bites are still defensive bites.
Just because you don’t feel as if the snake was in any danger and had ample room to run, doesn’t mean the snake felt that way.
Just like people, snakes react differently to being surprised. When startled, most people will either exhibit fight or flight behaviors.
Some may throw their hands up in a defensive gesture, while others may put their fists up, ready to throw a punch.
The same is true of snakes. Some will immediately turn tail and flee, while other snakes will stand their ground and bite. Either way they choose is intended to defend themselves and prevent being injured or killed.
Why Do Some Snakes Stay In Place Instead Of Fleeing?
Some snakes, especially ambush predators such as the gaboon viper, rely on camouflage to protect themselves. They feel that as long as they stay still, you won’t see them. When you get too close however, they feel as if they have been spotted and are in danger. By the time you are within striking distance, it’s too late for them to run. Snakes will bite to protect themselves.
Why Do Snakes Bite You When You Are Asleep?
Some people believe that a snake will be drawn to you at night because of the warmth. I can see this happening occasionally, but for the most part snakes that are active at night are hunting.
The prey they are hunting, usually rodents, are often found in close proximity to where people live.
As with all snake bites, a snake will bite you when you are asleep either because it views part of your body as food, or because it thinks it is in danger. It may see a foot or hand, and mistake it for food. There is also the chance that you roll over or move in your sleep, which can cause the snake feel as if it is about to be attacked. It will bite to defend itself.
If a snake is close to you while you begin moving in your sleep, it has no way of knowing that you aren’t trying to attack it. In its mind it is in danger, and does not have enough room to escape.
On the other hand (pun intended), a hand or foot sticking out from underneath a cover can look like a tasty morsel!
Will A Snake Bite You Out Of Anger?
Snakes don’t have emotions like you or I do.
The hissing, the puffing, or in the case of rattlesnakes, the rattling of the tail, are all ways to warn you. Hissing more loudly doesn’t indicate anger, it indicates a snake that is doing all it can to tell you to stay away.
Will a snake bite you out of anger? Snakes will not bite you out of anger. We have a tendency to humanize animals. We associate feelings, emotions and traits to animals that we ourselves experience. Snakes can certainly be provoked and become hostile, but they don’t get angry as you and I understand it. There are reasons why snakes bite, but anger is not one of them.
When you see a snake getting into a defensive posture, or hissing loudly, it is simply warning you to stay away.
A snake that poses in the familiar “S” curve that lets you know it’s about to strike, or the familiar cobra which lifts its body and spreads its hood, are snakes that are getting their body into the optimal position to launch a strike.
They might hiss more loudly, posture more dramatically and even dart their head forward like a strike as they become more and more desperate to defend themselves. This is not anger however, the snake is simply protecting itself.
People say, “That snake is really mad!”. The truth is, that snake is really scared and will bite to defend its own life.
All snakes want to do is feed, mate, stay warm and feel safe.
Will A Snake Chase You?
There are so many stories of people being chased by snakes that there must be some truth to it, right?
Will a snake chase you? Contrary to many popular stories, legends and myths, snakes will not chase you. Some snakes such as the bushmaster, have been known to continue moving towards you even as you are backing away, but if you actually flee and turn to look, you will find that the snake is going it’s own way. Snakes do not chase people.
While there are some species of snakes that are known for standing their ground more aggressively than others (like the bushmaster I mentioned), most snakes will simply flee when they see an opening.
Sometimes in their attempt to flee, the snake will run in the same direction as the person. Maybe their burrow is behind you. Perhaps the area behind them is exposed, while the area behind you is filled with brush and cover.
Either way, the snake may see its best shot at safety as getting past you.
To a frightened person who just came across a snake unexpectedly, this will certainly seem as if the snake is chasing you.
There are also numerous snakes that strike so ferociously, and with such force that their whole body will move forward as they strike. To a terrified observer, it may seem as if this snake literally launched itself in the air at you and is starting to chase. This is not the case however, and the snake is not chasing you.
True Story!
I was wading through a stream with my son one day while we were fishing, when I spotted a water moccasin. They usually swim on top of the water, but this one was underwater and had just missed catching a fish.
It was probably around 5 or 6 feet away when I spotted it, and rather than coming back to the surface after it missed the fish, it turned and began swimming right towards me.
I froze, and in all honesty was a little scared.
The water was nearly to my knees, and the bottom was pretty rocky. There was no way I could possibly run away from this snake!
The moccasin literally swam right between my legs!
It turned ever so slightly half way through my legs, and part of its body and tail actually rubbed against my left leg as it went past. A short way beyond, it surfaced and swam off towards shore.
Did it know I was there?
Possibly.
My guess is that it knew some mammal was there, but wasn’t concerned for its safety.
The point is, it came directly at me. I can’t say for sure if it would have switched directions had I started moving away, but either way it wasn’t chasing me. It simply wanted to go the direction it felt it needed to go.
Why Do Snakes In Captivity Bite?
Snakes in captivity aren’t much different than snakes in the wild. Though they may become accustomed to human interaction, they are never fully tamed.
Why do snakes in captivity bite? Snakes in captivity bite for the same reasons that a wild snake will bite; defense and food. When you reach into the enclosure, they may think it is feeding time and mistake your hand for food. Alternatively, they may feel scared or threatened, and bite you as an attempt to protect themselves.
This is why it is always recommended to never handle your snakes right before, during, or after feeding time.
No Handling Near Feeding Times
- A snake that can smell its food will be more prone to strike as their hunting instincts take over. People who feed prekilled food to their snake are always advised to use feeding tongs so that your hand is nowhere near the strike zone of the snake.
- As for after feeding, many snakes will regurgitate their food if they are frightened or stressed while their stomach is still full. Again, this is defensive in nature. It distracts the potential predator, and an empty stomach allows the snake to make a hasty retreat.
Another reason snakes may bite in captivity is illness.
This is especially true of a pet snake that hasn’t been known to bite before. Biting can be an early warning sign that your snake is sick, and is acting more defensively while it feels more vulnerable.
Summary
I’ve shown several situations when snakes might be more prone to bite. There’s no doubt that I could list countless more scenarios when a snake might bite.
Regardless of what’s going on when a snake bites, it still comes down to two main reasons. It is either defending itself, or trying to eat.
Snakes don’t have emotions as you or I see them. They don’t get angry, they don’t seek revenge. Heck, most snakes don’t even protect their young after they are born!
So the next time you see a snake, don’t fear getting bitten. Simply leave it alone, and let it go on its way. It’s unlikely to bite you if you leave it alone.