• A threat’s a threat, I doubt snakes are aware of the fact that they even have venom, much less that it only works on certain living biological entities. But I’m no Snake Scientist, so I could obviously be totally wrong.

      • Snakes only produce a small amount of venom and it takes days to replenish reserves. They have fine muscle control over how much venom they release and scientists have measured them releasing amounts of venom relative to the size of their target.

        Not sure how aware they are of doing it but I wouldn’t be surprised with all of a viper’s sensory organs that they knew venom would go to waste on a prosthetic

  • Maybe the behavior of rattlesnakes is different than other species, but I spent a lot of time catching and handling garter snakes as a kid and I very rarely was bitten. They are most likely to bite if you grab them around the middle and hold on. Normally they will just poop on you and try to get away.

    • The battle in my neighborhood about whether it was garter or guarder snake was intense. No internet and two different kids moms told us two different things so it was a heated battle. One kid couldn’t pronounce neither he ended up called them Horton snakes for some reason like Tim Hortons. Some kids thought they were garden snakes cus they lived in the garden. Pre internet was a different time man.

  • Kinda of funny considering the whole ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ slogan

    Don’t Tread On Me … or else there is a high likelihood I won’t do anything and a very small chance I might bite you.

  • This is the best summary I could come up with:


    SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In a Phoenix-area venomous snake training course, the first thing students learn is that basically everything they thought they knew about rattlesnakes is a myth.

    The sanctuary holds the class for the public and businesses in the spring, as rattlesnakes wake up from their winter-long naps, known in the reptile kingdom as brumation.

    The trainings run through a host of rattlesnake information before teaching people how to safely grab snakes with tongs, plop them in a bucket and remove them from their homes.

    Arizona saw a surge in rattlesnake bites in April, according to data provided to NPR on Wednesday by the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center.

    It balled itself in knots, slithered through the tongs and, a couple of times, popped its head over the bucket and peered at the crowd.

    Kelley Fox is the urban wildlife planner for Arizona’s Pinal County, and has been studying reptiles for years.


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