Zoologist Reacts To Common Snake Myths and Misconceptions

Are snakes slimy? Do they chase people? Do they lay by you to measure you? Are they going to eat you? People have a lot of crazy ideas about snakes. So what is the truth regarding these common snake myths and misconceptions?

#clintsreptiles #snakes #snake
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Clint is a professional biologist and educator, but above all, Clint LOVES reptiles and he loves to share that love with everyone he meets. Whether you're lover or a hater of reptiles, you can't help but get excited with Clint!
We post a new video every Saturday morning! So stay tuned!

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Clint's Reptiles
770 East Main Street # 127
Lehi, UT 84043

[FrddyMhrCurry]

i love how Clint is moving his arms with wild gestures during his rant and the Ball Python on his hand is just vibin' and is like
Why earthquake?

[TheDundeeBiscuitLuvU]

On the 'snakes chasing people' front, sometimes it is also just because in that split second of panic, both the human and the snake have identified the same escape path and are both just trying to get the hell out of there via the same route. As you say, most snakes are slower than humans, so they end up behind the human. But they aren't chasing, they are just trying to get away from the scary hairless ape stomping around

[berkleypearl]

My favorite snake story is when my mom was at work and a bunch of her coworkers had found a snake and were poking at it and messing with it. And this poor snake was just so exhausted and almost dead. They had somehow gotten it into the bottom of a trash can and had been jabbing it with sticks. Mind you this was a bunch of 40 year old dudes who worked at a chemical plant in Texas. And my mom spotted this mistreatment of the snake, never touched a snake in her life, never even been in a room with a snake. She buffaloed those guys out of the way and reached down into the trash can and grabbed that snake by the back of the head and pulled it out. Holding that snake she looked in its face and held it up in front of her coworkers and declared “THIS IS NOT A DANGEROUS SNAKE! YOU GUYS ARE WEENIES! WEENIES!” And all these gruff guys all looked down and hung their heads in shame. Still holding the snake aloft she demanded “where did you find this snake!” And they pointed meekly to a little grassy spot by the pond. And she marched over there and put that snake back by it’s little hole and it slithered back in. And my mom turned around and said “don’t you go bothering snakes again!”
I love her so much

[laurenbailey]

The "snakes size you up" one is something it seems like everyone tells me when I mention I own snakes LOL. Like bruh I've done probably over a hundred feedings of multiple species and ain't none of them lay next to those rats. Someone tried to tell me that it was only a boa thing and I said "I own 3 of them they've never done that 😭😭😭"

[lindsayschmidt]

I’ve had a lot of people tell me about my pet snake that I love very much that the only good snake is a dead snake, or that they hope a cat comes and kills my snake. I just wonder what kind of mentality these people have to think it’s okay to make that statement about someone’s pet animal.

[Zeldur]

I love the idea of someone saying "Snakes are evil because of the garden" and now I can reply with "Well... Mose's staff turned into a snake."

[mollycontent]

I find it really amusing how people will swear that Reptiles don’t have any sort of intelligence but then also think they are smart enough to measure people and know the difference between good and evil lol

[barjw]

This misconception is usually brought up more when talking about turtles or fish. But, I've heard SO MANY people confidently say that animals grow to the size of their enclosure or environment. I wish I knew where that misinformation came from and how to change people's minds.

[bgray]

His little hognose is so darn cute, just sitting there and listening to him and watching him once he puts it on the table haha

[sciencefictionisreal]

On biblical representations of snakes being evil: I was really surprised to learn that the ancient athenians saw snakes in a positive light. To them snakes were associated with the soil and thus also represented farmers and agriculture. The great statue of Athena that used to sit in the Parthenon, Athena has a shield standing on the ground next to her, and the shield is protecting a snake.

[dragonicmicrophone]

I remember one of Steve Irwin's specials--the 10 most venomous snakes in the world (Australia?)--and when he got to the Tiger Snake, he showed how, even though that snake could've killed him, the snake just wanted to be left alone. Then there was the Fierce Snake. For something with such potent venom, it decidedly did not view Steve as a threat.

Snakes rule!

[travisrobbins]

My mother as a child once picked up what she thought was a rope and wrapped it around her neck like a necklace. Her father absolutely flipped out because she had actually wrapped a snake around her neck. She wasn't bitten or anything, but my mother remains terrified of snakes to this day. She's not just terrified, but she actively hates them. I tried to rationalize with her that she literally picked up a wild animal and wrapped it around her neck and the snake was still more concerned with escaping than biting her. It doesn't matter though, she still hates them.

[ThatllDoSammy]

One of the wildest snake myths I've heard is that they use their tongues to sting! I like to explain that it tickles when their tongue touches you :)

[BloodDracolich]

As the proud owner of a pet ball python, I have no qualms in saying that snakes generally aren't the brightest crayons in the box. That said, after listening to some of the dumb things people believe about them; even the snakes manage to put those people to shame when it comes to brains.

[marydonohoe]

Just fascinating! And so important to get the word out there. Our older son, at the age of ten, rescued a small water snake from some older boys who were throwing rocks at it, trying to impress a couple of girls, from the opposite side of a small river in northern Arizona. Jamie dived into the river and gently raised the little snake. He brought it to the girls and showed them that it was harmless. He was able to completely change the entire dynamic, and all of the kids became interested in this little guy. The snake, I mean. 😉 An important lesson from our boy, who knew more than many of his age peers because of his background, and knew how to diffuse the situation. (That cool head and compassionate heart have served him and his patients very well in the ER!)

[bartuyuksel]

in 9th grade my biology teacher and I were arguing about how to tell if a snake was venomous or not she was a strict believer vertical pupils and that triangular headshape meant venomous and all others were non-venomous but a quick googling showed that I was right
ps: this was truly a shining moment for a reptile nerd

[asrig]

I think the misconception of "all venomous snakes have triangle head and slit pupil/cat like eyes" come from Europe because it applied on wild snakes of Europe (all European venomous snakes are Vipers). Someone saw it and assumed that it applied to all snakes.

[williamwayfairing]

I accidentally stepped on a water snake last week while stepping over a log in a marshy area. It made absolutely NO ATTEMPT to bite me even though it was stuck under my boot for a second or so!

I always thought stepping on a snake was a sure way to get bitten, but now I'm not sure there's any "sure way" to accidentally get bitten!

P.S. it was under my toe and didn't get my full body weight so I think/hope the little noodle snoot is ok!

[georgieboy]

This was a very informative video. Snakes also get a bad rap due to their portrayal in movies. I recently read an article where a pilot discovered a cobra in the cockpit. The pilot had a ninety minute flight and had to accept the fact the cobra would be riding with him. The cobra simply coiled up and left the pilot alone for the entire duration.

[melskunk]

I think the boring idea also links to pets that live in cages or tanks. When I had birds an amazing amount of people said they were boring and basically like having "loud fish". Needless to say none of them had either birds OR fish