This blog is super late. I know I know...I'm a slacker. I know that you guys have lost countless hours of sleep in anticipation! I blame it on the food-induced coma that lasts for about 2 months after Thanksgiving. However, I promised you guys that I would make a Part II to my discussion on "scary species". Last time I talked about the most notorious animal that has earned a bad reputation...sharks. Today I want to talk about...*drum roll*....SNAKES!!!!
How could you not LOVE THAT?? Google "Snakes wearing tiny hats". It's totally worth your time.
I can hear some of you right now. "Ewwww gross there is NO way that I will ever think those creepy and disgusting things are cool!" "They are mean so why would I want to keep them around?? They're just going to bite!"...and my favorite one of them all (and the one that makes my blood boil)...
"The only good snake is a dead snake!"
Whenever I hear someone say this (which, unfortunately, is WAY too often) this is the image that comes to mind.
This is not to stereotype. I educate guests of all kinds and ages, however, there is always someone that makes this comment during one of my programs. It is possible that some of it roots from ignorance, but it's not my job to fix that! My job is to inform the misinformed. So just like in my shark post, here are some really cool facts about snakes that you may not have known:
Cool Fact #1: Snakes are cooler than you.
just kidding (or am I???)
For real though...they literally are.
They are cold-blooded. Does that mean they have "cold" blood? No. It just means that they are ectothermic, or their body temperature is that of their surroundings. This means that when it's hot outside they have to find a way to cool themselves off. They normally find shade, or a body of water. They can't sweat like we mammals can. If it's cold they can bask in the sun, bury themselves, or brumate (which is similar to hibernation except they come out and eat more often).
Cool Fact #2: There are about 2,700 different kinds of snakes in the world.
There are 37 different kinds in NC with only 6 of those being venomous! Here are the 6 venomous species in NC:
1) The copperhead (which is most often confused with the non-venomous corn snake)
2) The timber rattlesnake
3) The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
4) The pigmy rattlesnake
5) The coral snake
6) and finally...the Eastern cottonmouth which is also known as the water moccasin
Cool Fact #3: Snakes don't have legs, but they can still climb! In fact, they're better climbers than I am. They can move EACH INDIVIDUAL scale in order to squeeze and slither their way up!
Cool Fact #4: They don't have eyelids, but they do have a scale over their eyes which sheds with the rest of their body! The scale is just an added protection.
Cool (and very important) Fact #5: They are pest controllers. It's actually a good idea to have a snake friend around your house because they eat the rodents that may try to wander in your home. I don't know about you guys, but I sure as heck don't want a bunch of rats running loose around my house! (Although I'll admit that I think they're kind of cute).
So what's the big deal about snakes? I mean, humans aren't on the menu, so why do we make such a big deal? Here are some common misconceptions about snakes:
1) They are cold, wet, and slimy!
This lady obviously does not want to touch the snake.
I wasn't ready.
Looking back, it's kind of hilarious how nervous I was. Now I handle snakes like they are little puppies. I let them hang out on my shoulders, on my lap, and I even kiss them (don't try this at home...our snakes are very used to being handled). After realizing that they weren't going to hurt me I became quite fond of them!
Awww this was back in 2011 during my 1st internship.
2) They are all venomous!
I'm really glad venom from Spiderman doesn't actually exist. How creepy!
Out of the ~2,700 kinds of snakes in the entire world there are few that are venomous in comparison to non-venomous snakes. What's the difference between a venomous and non-venomous snake, you say? I'm glad you asked.
Venomous snakes have...well...venom. Which means that they have fangs instead of the brier-like shorter teeth like non-venomous snakes have. See, for a venomous snake to be harmful, they have to actually bite and inject venom into the bloodstream. Snakes, spiders, lionfish...all of these guys are venomous. This is very different from a poisonous animal or plant, which must be eaten, inhaled, or touched in order to harm you. If you were to touch a venomous animal then nothing would happen.
Non-venomous snakes, however, are normally constrictors that utilize suffocation to kill their prey. Once this happens the snake then swallows it whole. Kind of like when I'm eating pie. I approach the pie slowly...patiently. When the timing is just right and the pie cannot sense my presence, that is when I ATTACK. I stab the pie with my fork, place a big bite in my mouth (probably suffocating myself more than the pie itself), and put the poor fruit-filled pastry out of its misery. Delicious.
Honey Boo Boo understands me.
3) We should kill only venomous snakes!
People seem to think that venomous snakes are the "mean" snakes. Well, here's the thing, just because they appear different and use a different form of protection doesn't make them "mean". Plus, it's incorrect to anthropomorphize and give these snakes human-like personality traits. Animals bite, shake their tails/rattles, make noises, etc. to warn predators and to protect themselves. Are they "out to get us"? Absolutely not. We're not on the menu. Yes, I realize that some snakes tend to be more aggressive than others and have been known to follow their prey to make sure that they're paralyzed or dead before it swallows them (the Black Mamba). That's why I make sure my pie is good and dead with my fork before I continue because I obviously don't want it to backfire and choke me.
In all seriousness, I can understand why people would fear snakes. I can also understand why people would choose to only fear venomous snakes. Obviously, nobody wants to get bitten by a snake and possibly have to visit the emergency room. I totally get that. With that being said, should we be respectful of these beautiful and interesting creatures? Absolutely. If you give them their space and don't give them a reason to be scared or stressed then they will go their own way. However, if you purposefully mess with them or something along those lines then you're just asking for it. If someone was poking me in the face or getting all up in my grill and they weren't invited to my BBQ, I'm probably going to bite them, too.
When I Googled "human rabies". GET BACK...BACK I SAY!!
Just like I stated in my post on sharks, the point of this blog is not to make you into a snake lover (although you are missing out if you aren't ;) ). The point is to clarify any misconstrued information and to help you gain an appreciation for these super cool animals! Just like sharks, spiders, and anything else that we may consider a "scary species", snakes serve a great purpose in the food chain. Without these animals the rodent populations would become out of control. So instead of assuming that the "only good snake is a dead snake", if you happen to stumble upon a snake friend near your home then please think first. If you fear that this snake is venomous and could cause harm, call a wildlife enforcer. They'll take care of the issue. Don't assume the worst and break out your shotgun! For all you know, that snake may have been keeping icky disease-infested rodents from your home. Thanks for reading, guys!
Don't forget to check out "Snakes With Hats" on Tumblr! ;)
http://snakeswithhats.tumblr.com/
