Do Snakes Take Revenge on People?

Snakes unfortunately have a bad reputation thanks to mythological stories and some Hollywood blockbuster hits. This led to creature some cult of snake fear among humans. And thus the stigma of killing them at first sight.

Some snakes can certainly kill a human with their venom in a matter of minutes, this is why many people believe that snakes are only good dead. But snakes have a larger part in our ecosystem, in controlling the rats and mice population.

As much as humans fear snakes, truth is, snakes fear humans the most, this is why snakes don’t take revenge. That statement is a pure myth that people have been passing on through generations.

Why do People think Snakes Take Revenge on Humans?

It’s not easy to bust an old myth, especially when it’s thousands of years old. Humans tend to follow some stigmas, even when several generations pass by. Some people just have a hard time letting it go, even when that specific myth is fully debunked. I guess that’s just human nature.

Why Are Snakes Afraid of Humans?

Like many other animals, snakes also have predators. To them, we humans are large predators. When we approach them, the snake will wait right where it is, in the hopes to go unnoticed.

If we continue to advance in their direction, they will have a natural reaction, flee or fight. No snake wants to enter in a direct conflict with a large (effing huge!) predator, would you fight a wild adult bear?

Can Snakes Sense Your Fear?

Animals like snakes cannot sense fear in humans, that is just another myth, however, snakes are really good at sensing pheromones and smells. They should be able to distinguish a normal human from a distressed one. Nevertheless, they will not have an abnormal reaction to it, unless threatened.

Do Snakes Hold Grudges?

The brain of a snake is not prepared to deal with certain emotions as we humans do. They are not so emotionally advanced, and the proof of that is, that snakes aren’t able to memorize someone who did them wrong, let alone hold a grudge.

Who Is the Enemy of a Snake?

Snakes can be very lethal, but they do have a lot of animals who prey on them. Common snake predators include eagles, birds of prey, coyotes, hawks, mongooses, owls, honey badgers, foxes, and bobcats.

How Do Snakes Protect Themselves From Enemies?

Some snakes use camouflage as a form to protect themselves against predators, others try to scare them away with their bright colors. And they can even give warning signals such as striking, hissing, rattling, and hooding. There are snake species that release a foul-smelling musk and play dead. This is also an active form of protection.

Pro tip: Can rat poison really kill some snakes? 🐍🐭☢️☢️☢️

Snakes and Common Misbeliefs Humans Have Toward Them

While many of us take certain snake information for a truth written in stone, the reality is, that some of it may be an absolute myth. Check out the following common misbeliefs about snakes.

1. Snakes Will Attack Human Beings

The snake is one animal who will only attack when they feel threatened, humans sometimes accidentally step on them, or bump into their nest. They only proceed to attack in these situations because snakes feel they are being attacked.

2. They Listen and Move Their Hood to the Charmer Music

It is a known fact that snakes don’t have ears, and because of that, they cannot hear music. However, they really do seem to follow the music a charmer plays on their instrument, but that is nothing more than a trick.

Snake charmers use their instrument (Pungi) to influence snakes in moving as they please. They do this by orchestrating the sounds the Pungi produces, the snake will then respond to the vibrations produced by the sound of the instrument. That’s how they do this trick with snakes.

3. Snakes Love Drinking Milk from Cows

Again, it is scientifically proven that snakes don’t like to drink milk, in fact, it is proven that when snakes are forced to drink it, they will get sick in a matter of days.

4. If a Snake Bite Victim Bites the Snake Back, the Venom Goes Away

As incredible as it may seem, some people do believe in this. But let’s be smart about it, if a victim who is bitten by a snake tries to bite it back, they are risking themselves being bitten again. This will only result in a new injection of venom into the victim again, leading to a painful (but quickly) death.

Bonus: This amazing trick was believed to save cowboys from snakes when they slept in the wild. 🐍😱😱😱

5. Snakes Possess Supernatural Powers and Golden Ones Have Diamonds in Their Mouths

Snakes are ordinary animals like many others, what we perceive as supernatural, is the ability of a snake doing a better use of its senses, to an extent, that science could prove. A gold snake is just another variation of the color these beings can be.

We, humans, tend to mystify things we cannot (yet) comprehend. But science is showing us each passing day the remarkable things these creatures can do.

6. Snakes Guard Wealth

This is another good one, snakes are always looking for shelter, this can be found in an old temple – who happens to have a treasure or not – or in an old house. It doesn’t matter to them, they don’t care about wealth, just their own safety.

7. Old Snakes Have Hair on Them

It is scientifically proven that hair does not grow on snakes. Some snakes can eventually shed their skins and this leads to some bits staying behind. It may look like hair, but it is not. Snake charmers sometimes will glue some hairs into their snakes (only god knows why).

Should Snakes Take Revenge on People?

This answer is pretty obvious, they shouldn’t, but then again, they do not possess emotionally intelligent capable enough to distinguish this.

While there might be a hand full of people who wish to harm snakes, there are many others who just want to live their lives snake free. But because of some mistake, end up dying with the venom of a snake.

But keep in mind that snakes are wild animals, and as such, they will respond accordingly. They don’t do it on purpose, they are just trying to survive in a competitive world, where the slightest mistake ends up taking their lives. It’s just snake’s nature.

Conclusion

Although snakes can be dangerous to human beings, the best option is to leave them alone in their business. Snakes can co-exist with humans, as long as they are not disturbed in their habitat. If they invade your home, before doing something drastically, reach out to animal control or a professional exterminator, they will know how to help you best.