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Clint! What a wonderful video! I'm a reptile fan and my boyfriend is getting over his fear of snakes, and this video was perfect. Thank you thank you thank you!
Just joined your Patreon as a Stinkin' Rad Fan, and I'm glad I did! Clint, the ambassadorship and education you do on behalf of reptiles and ultimately all wildlife is both a noble and much-needed thing I'm honored to support. Matthew AKA Binro Was Right
So Clint, first you got your Bs (Bullshit), then you got your MS (Moreshit), then you got your PhD (piled higher and deeper) until you knew more and more about less and less until eventually you knew everything about nothing!
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
There's a phenomenon with spiders, which have very tiny brains, which can more or less be summarised as (a) aaaiiieee godzilla, flee (b) oh look, there's a nice hiding spot under that godzilla-shaped tree over there. Snakes are brighter but I wouldn't be surprised if something similar occasionally happened with snakes, especially ones that don't see humans often.
@@hjalfi Yup, see this a lot with the spiders, and other inverts like earwigs for that matter, in my bathroom at night. It's kind of cute once you realise what is going on, probably not very helpful for people who are scared of spiders though haha
Exactly. Most of animals can end running in the same direction as lots of animals wait to the last moment to run away and well they sometimes choose wrong direction(they do that as predators can't change direction so quickly) this is also reason why lots of animals are hit by vehicle on the road, they wait for last moment but they don't know that car move way faster than they assume and on top of that they sometimes choose the same way and well... We know how it end
@@hjalfi I had this thought while i was trying to work around a spider while pumping my tires the other day, when it started seemingly running towards me, so I did a semi-circle to see if it was actually coming TOWARDS me or if we chose the same escape path etc etc. and I think it was probably doing option B because it like DRIFTED to sharply turn to keep following me lol! I felt like i was in animal crossing with a tarantula chasing me 😂😂 thankfully i realized i should probably just Get Away and i was scaring the poor thing by yelping and shouting so i hopped and skipped way into my house to put as much distance between the spider and I as possible lol (It was missing one of its legs, too; probably had worse things to deal with than me stomping around like a terrified toddler)
Yep. Also worth noting that snake eyesight is terrible, so they can't necessarily see you are moving away from them at first, just that you are moving, so they panic and run and like you said, take the quickest route out. The fact they panic and follow you might seem weird to some people if the path also goes the other direction, but I think that might be a big part of it.
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
To be fair, some of these come from different people. A few people double up on contradictory claims, but I'd wager a decent chunk of these people lean one way or the other with their faulty assumptions about snakes.
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
Great story, and I appreciate seeing "buffaloed" used in the wild. I'd heard the verb in the sentence "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo, buffalo Buffalo buffalo" (The buffalo from Buffalo who are pushed around by the buffalo from Buffalo, they push around (other) buffalo from Buffalo).
It wasn't the serpent who tricked Adam and eve in the garden, it was Satan using it as a vessel because he himself couldn't enter the garden. Fun fact by the way, the devil's first choice of animal to take him into the garden was a peacock
if you really wanna blow.their mind, tell them what the gnostic sects believed, that the serpent was actually christ and the god who bade Adam and Eve to not eat the fruit was an impostor and not the real creator.
@@crowdemon_archives That concept is from the greek panthenon though. Hermes had the Caduceus (Two snakes around a staff) and the god of healing, Asclepius, has a staff with just one snake. Ironic the two-snaked staff became the healing symbol...
@@unclemiguel4221 There is nothing in scripture to suggest the serpent was Satan, lol. That's just something some Christians came up with to try and combat the silliness of talking snakes ;)
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.
Ew, wtf, what kind of people do you have around you? That's evil. Edit: Sorry, I had no idea that was this common, my mom has a snake, and the fuckers like a brother to me. Although some people in our family aren't fans of snakes, I don't think they'd ever think about hurting Jim, he's part of the family.
He's _sizing him up!_ (つ'°ᗝ°`)つ Lol. Silly. Real talk, what a gorgeous animal. I love the black & orange checked belly. So beautiful! And the pied ball is lovely as well.
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 😭😭😭"
my grandma told me that story literally two weeks ago when i was showing her pictures of my rat snake lmao. like, he tags me if i move my hand around his face, but that's prey drive, not an active concious attempt to eat or hurt me.
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.
Also, detailed in reference to Athens, specifically, was the (by the time of writing, rather disbelieved) belief that the Acropolis had a sacred snake guardian who lived down a specific hole in the rock. It was fed honey cakes and never seen. Snakes in the ancient mediterranean usually had mixed symbolism, but part of it was usually tied to the very perceptible behaviour of shedding as a metaphor of rebirth. In some places this was seen as magical - linking them with hidden powers/knowledge - in others with healing/rebirth/death. In Greece, most serpentine figures tended to be 'Chthonic'; a cultural class of wilder entities - older gods (or gods who were perceived to be older), some monsters, some benevolent mythical beings, etc. They were frequently associated with concepts like femininity, fertility, darkness, earth, moisture/the sea, animals, uncontrolled behaviour...all the fun stuff, basically. You have to remember that while snakes' bites might have been dangerous to humans in ancient Greece and they move suddenly...that's true of dogs, wild boar, lions. Prior to modern medicine, I might take my chances with an angry snake over an equally enraged dog. I'd guess that dry bites/non-venomous snakes have better odds of coming up than either rabies or a pack of backup.
I'm always shocked that people totally miss the fact that the form of the serpent was taken as an act of deception. It implies that serpents by default are good and trustworthy, hence the reason to impersonate one.
In finland, before christianity landed there, they were wanted in farms. Snakes were given milk to drink (which I think probably went to hedgehogs instead) and had specific calls to attract them. In finland there's literally just 3 species of snake and only 1 is venomous. The european adder. So, it's easy to see that there wasn't much fear of them.
In many ancient Hebrew texts their word for serpent translates to dragon rather than snake. It seems pretty ridiculous that humans (the only creatures on the planet capable of evil) associate snakes (not even intelligent enough to understand the concept) as evil beings.
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.
Oof, I hate this one. I have not been embarrased by my parents very frequently, but the one time that my Dad did something I was really embarrased by was when he got into an argument with a Petco employee because she refused to sell him more Tiger Barbs because his tank size was too small (good for her, honestly,) and he kept insisting that "they won't grow as big if the tank is smaller! Don't tell me how to keep my tank!!" Thankfully, she stuck to her guns and we walked out of the Petco fish-less that day and he eventually gave up on fish-keeping after failing to keep several more unfortunate souls alive. I can only guess that this myth was born from the fact that animals will experience stunted growth if kept in improper enclosures, which is NOT the same thing.
Living in small town USA, I’m our unoffishial fish vet, medicating tanks and koi ponds for neighbors and friends and friends of friends etc. And you’ve definitely struck a nerve there. I hear that ALL. THE. TIME.
my dad said this when i told him iguanas get large, he said they grow to the size of their cage and he knows because his friends had them in college. no, your friends in college mistreated their iguanas stunting their growth, it was so irritating to hear and he was so stubborn it was unbelievable
My roommate once confidently informed me that "snakes are the only mammals without spines." Yes, mammals. To add insult to injury, I had a sweet king snake, Balthasar, and I offered to let her touch him to confirm that he was, in fact, mostly spine. She refused because "snakes are slimey." I got a new roommate before the end of the first semester.
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.
That's really sad. If her father took a calmer approach and didn't scare her I'm sure she would've been more open to snakes Although I totally understand how a father would freak out. Imagine if it was rattlesnake
Unfortunately her Father gorilla glued, hot glued, staple gunned, railroad spiked and nail gunned that fear deep inside her. It's probably there for good.
My mother has not been through a smililarly dramatic story, but she goes otu of her way to kill snakes that intrude on her lawn. Despite the fact that all reptiles are protected species in Sweden... I get being afraid of spiders or snakes or dentists, but at least I rationalise that it'd be pretty mean to show up to my appointment with a shotgun.
Oh my gosh, I've actually never heard of that! WTF is wrong with those people?? Also, I would expect the snake tongue to tickle similarly to cat whiskers? I have no clue, but I do have cats so I can only make a guess. lol
Does it feel similar to a butterfly tickling you with it's proboscis? Hackberry Emperors like to land on people and drink up sweat. It feels tickly weird. ❤
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.
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!
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
I've always hated when science or biology teachers don't actually do enough research and claim they know everything. 🙄 one teacher got mad at me and said ooh why don't you teach the class. So I did...and made the teacher look stupid.
It isn't a particularly bad thing that a biology teacher didn't know this, they do have a hell a lot to know after all. The problem is more that they lacked the humility to admit defeat, or consider that they were wrong.
@Bartu When people come at me with that one, I always say "Explain coral snakes then". Sadly, it's usually about what snakes you can pick up and which ones you can't and I have to say that if that's how you're identifying them, you need to not pick anything up. I leave them alone anyway because should a king snake or gopher snake bite me and mess up a tooth, while the bite isn't bad for me, it could be bad for that snake. They're trying to survive in a tough world.
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.
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.
Yeah, but even in Europe that's a safe bet, not an accurate one. All European venomous snakes have slit pupils, but not all snakes that have slit pupils in Europe are venomous.
@@rataslesbianass we have seven in germany, two of which are venomous, only one of which has that triangular head. And it turns out the asp viper is less dangerous than the common adder. And even that needs to bite multiple times with venom to get you.
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!)
Can't stand kids like this I raise mine to respect nature not liter and find animals fascinating. He loves our 5 foot northern pine. She is the sweetest snake. If someone was terrified of snakes she'd break it out of them
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
YES I have a Betta in a ten gallon and the PERSONALITY ON HIM I want a bird so bad, one that is flighted and can fly to me, but as I have the best bird predator as a pet. I just can't.
Not not mention alot of kids wind up with a ball python as a first snake. Sold one of my babies a couple years ago, lovely leo boy I think it was, for some 9-10 ish girl. She was tired of him by the end of the month because he was "boring" and he got passed on to a neighbor. I lost track of him after that. The more shows I do the more *I* learn on vetting potential buyers and making sure the fit will be one to hopefully last the lifetime of the snake.
@@Wulfgeist oh ouch. I know some dog breeders have first right of refusal contracted into their buyer's agreements to stop things like this, where the person has to offer the animal back before selling or rehoming it. Maybe reptile breeders should consider that too,though I don't know if many would want to deal with the hassle
@@melskunk I've pondered that but people would basically want a refund and I'd have a bunch of buyers remorse snakes I'd have to buy back and then quaranteen. I might tell them they could bring them back but there would be no reimbursement in that case. Rather have to set up a couple more QT racks then people do not too bright things like releasing them.
@@Wulfgeist yeah, I have had a reptile obsession my entire life, especially Snapping Turtles. I have Alligator Snappers, & they take them back if they get too ginormous or folks can’t care for them. No refunds though- folks were abusing it.) I think it might be a part of the requirement for him selling captive bred endangered species? So people don’t release them in the wild. He owns several large ponds & small lakes in Lake of the Ozarks that they go live in outside. In Kansas we have local pet stores that will buy/take people’s snakes/reptiles they don’t want, especially snakes, & sell them to new ‘forever homes.’ (ps, I am a lifer for my Snappers, & am planning on am outdoor pool!!)🙂🙂
That fact about swallowing snake venom was pretty cool. I don't think I ever considered what would happen if you actually drank it. When I was real little, a cousin of mine had a few snakes. He let me hold his ball python a few times and I was absolutely fascinated. I learned early that they aren't slimy at all. If you go fishing for fresh water fish, those are slimy, but not snakes. I think snakes and cats both get a bad rap from people who just don't know about them.
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!
I found a water snake not long ago and it really had no escape path so I went to move it out of the way and all it did was smack me with its nose, once it was being actively picked up and moved it just kept trying to escape, not bite. Water snakes act all tough but they're just giant bitches
16:06 My 75 y/o grandmother was bitten by an eastern diamond back rattlesnake, the dogs had cornered it on the stoop by the back door and so when she opened the door to see what they were barking at it got her in the foot. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance where they realized that the shock of being bitten had caused her to have a heart attack and then at the hospital they gave her the antivenom which she had an allergic reaction. Despite all of that she made a full recovery other than a permanent limp and lived for another ten years.
A lot of people lose all reason when confronted with the very idea that snakes might not be obviously evil and gross. I do also find the only useful thing you can say then is a basic question you let them try to answer: "Why isn't it attacking you?" "Why would it?" Great example. "Isn't it going to kill you?" "...How?" I have been told recently that even having the enclosures in a room NEAR my bedroom will somehow taint me with evil/disease or be hazardous to my health. I couldn't get them to explain that one. "But the DIRT!" Re: bioactive substrate. "You mean the stuff that's everywhere all around my room via the Outdoors and in which I played as a child?"
Lmao, like somehow having a terrarium, which is more likely to be way cleaner and controlled for multiple reasons, in a bedroom is any worse than rolling in the dirt outside your patio.
Evil people don't attack much, much larger, stronger beings either. Doesn't make them any less evil. Snakes are almost all predators and their prey definitely doesn't want to be eaten.
Clint, fantastic video as always. As a believer, I hear the "Snakes are evil" misconception all the time. Thank you for addressing this with facts and references even from Scripture. I have had to explain this so many times to folks which is understandable, but it is such a disservice to the animal. Snakes are doing their thing to survive. Any animal could and have been used for good and evil. It's not the animal's fault that they were used for nefarious purposes. I really hope I get a chance to come out to Utah at some point. I would absolutely love to tour the Reptile Room. I love this channel so much, and these videos have taught me a wealth of knowledge about reptiles of all kinds.
My dad's family is very Christian and once I started owning snakes, they all came to him and were concerned with my "behavior" because they thought the snakes were minions of Satan and would cause me to "stray" from the path of good. They legit thought me getting pet snakes was a sign of the devil's work...
@@xBloodxFangx Especially when you know that the snake who got Adam and Eve banished from the Garden of Eden after tricking them into eating the forbidden fruit was none other than the devil himself (Satan) in disguise.
That and Moses raised a bronze statue of a snake by command from God . The full story behind that was that the Israelites were once complaining about their situation and as punishment God commanded a large group of snakes to bite them , Moses was then commanded to raise the statue since he had previously pleaded to God for forgiveness. The statue wasn’t a symbol of Christ per say as it was more of a symbol of healing that would later become a parallel to the crucifixion.
The predator approach thing reminds me of how one of the best ways to prevent a tiger from attacking you is to wear a mask on the back of your head, because it makes the tiger think you can see it. If a stealth predator like a tiger thinks it has lost the element of surprise, they’re more likely to not bother hunting you to begin with, keeping you and the tiger more safe
When I first saw the "measuring to eat you" thing I thought it was crazy! Snakes are the embodiment of "head empty, no thoughts"..they kinda just do stuff they never think ahead, if they did they'd be seen acting like humans with pens of mice where every month they eat a few babies (or larger things like bunnies, ect). Last time our big burmese pythn got out (we gave him a better cage after, he's no longer with us sadly) he kinda curled in bed with my grandma (under her pillow I think?), it absolutely spooked her..he wasn't there to eat her or anything he just wanted a warm soft spot to curl up in after getting out. Only snakes I really see on the usual for my area are cute little garden snakes (Garter snake), my brothers used to go out and catch them before bringing them home; we also have rattlers but I haven't personally seen any..they prefer to not be around humans and just making noise will cause them to hide so you'll never really see any, I've seen the holes they hide in the ground with but nothing more not even a rattle from their tails. When I hear people getting bitten I first assume they were either drunk and messing with the snake (as you mentioned) or were just bothering the snake.
I believe the memory aid about snake pupils and vertical pupils meaning venomous might come from western/central Europe like Germany, France, Luxemburg, Belgium, etc. Over here, the only venomous snakes we have are members of the Vipera genus and the only other snakes are Coronella or Natrix and maybe a few other diurnal colubrids. As luck would have it, despite being completely unrelated to them being venomous, only the vipers have slit pupils and it actually works as a distinctionby sheer coincidence. Maybe it made its way across the Atlantic via the internet or something. But I agree, it would still be dumb to get close enough to see.
Less likely the internet since even my great-grandparents said it, more likely the fact that America and Canada were primarily settled by Europeans and the descendants of Europeans.
I mean, it probably made its way across the Atlantic with Columbus and just never left - the average person in America believes *a lot* of random medieval european folklore because it has just Always been a part of the culture even when the relevant beliefs have been out of date for five centuries.
True. In Europe it works that way because of that and it was even mentioned in old books. The shape of the head was another indicator, since Natrix have rounder heads and vipers have a triangular shape head, but in general people will just stay away from any snake because most people can't tell the difference between a water snake and a viper.
@@JoaoPedroPT696 and than you look at the common european adder, and it breaks the head shape rule. Sure, the head is wider at the back, but the same applies to nearly all snakes. Or animals in general.
I was bitten by a rattlesnake, it gave me tons of warnings but I didn't recognize the sound & kept looking around trying to figure out what it was. Luckily for me, it was a dry bite
it is amazing how all these myths were actually published in school books. I remember when I was a kid and always loved science classes and I vividly remember these myths in my books. And.many people spread them because....well, that is what we learned with the limited knowledge we had. I even remember the myth about the lemings running to their death on a cliff.... also from very known old books. :p
@@gladeloy3341 Lemmings do sometimes actually run into water...in an attempt to swim across. Sometimes they do drown, simply because the distance was too great for them to cross.
I had a few closely supervised meetings between my cat and my corn snake. She was sniffing the back end of the snake and lost track of the front. And the snake sniffed her back end. She levitated about four feet, ran off, and never wanted anything to do with her again
I try to general keep them separated anyway, but my cat couldn't care any less about the snakes. Even my fiancee's cat shows barely a curiosity. Makes me feel better that if they did ever get out, they wouldn't immediately be mangled.
I have two cats and I'd love to get a ball python. I absolutely never would let them be together unsupervised but I guess I would let them learn about each other and hopefully establish a kind of neutral relationship so if the snake ever got out, the cats wouldn't try to eat it immediately... hopefully... they are both not very passionate hunters anyway
I work with kids and I wanted to bring my pet snake into the office, and one of the kids told me snakes don’t have bones. I didn’t ask them, but I asked the rest of the kids after if snakes had bones, and like most of them said no! Some tried to tell me I was wrong!!! I would say I was floored too lol
you can tell them that snakes have so many bones they actually have set the record for "most bones." A photo of a snake skeleton with all those ribs and vertibrae might blow their minds (in a good way!)
Thank you for addressing the "personality" issue. Since I've owned my snakes I have noticed how they react with me and I think " there's no way this creature doesn't have a personality" . I love my snakes (all 7 of them) and interacting with them is extremely fascinating. Great work you do here! I love your channel!
5:02 "Snakes chase people" is one I heard a lot in Florida, mostly referring to the FL Cottonmouth, and specifically when it is in the water. I have had people swear to me they saw the snake chasing them out of the water! My own personal experience with this has been to see a Cottonmouth coming towards me doing what I felt was quite clearly investigating some splashing in the water. As piscivorous snakes, they probably LOVE to find a fish that is injured and splashing a bit, making for an easier meal. Their close mimic, the FL Banded Watersnake, does the same thing and if you were to ask me is much more aggressive about it than the Cottonmouth. Similarly the people of Florida often swear these snakes will leap out of trees to attack them in their boats as they go by branches that overhang the water. I have had a Banded Watersnake land in my kayak a couple of times also, but never as an "attack," they were most likely sunning themselves in the branches, basking, while near their favorite escape route--the water--when my presence startled them out of the branches but accidentally into my kayak. While this happened to me twice, more than a dozen other times the snakes would hit the water ten or more feet ahead of me. Finally, yet another thing I heard from many people in Florida, is that the Mud Snake has a venomous stinger and if it stings you with it's tail you are in more danger than from the Eastern Diamondback! Having caught a couple Mud Snakes and Rainbow Snakes (Farancia abacura and F. erytrogramma respectively)and felt the jab of the little hard, pointy scale at the end of their tails firsthand, I guess I can understand the origins of such a myth, especially from back in the old days when these highly aquatic snakes probably could cause a serious infection from such a jab. They use those sharp pointy scales to anchor themselves in the muck as they hunt Sirens and I imagine they must work fairly well! (By the way, I have no problem claiming those two snakes are easily the most beautiful snakes in North America, even beating out the San Francisco Garter, the Rough Green Snake and Pygmy Rattlesnake! Prove me wrong!! 🤪)
The snakes chasing people drives me insane. On Reddit someone posted a video of a dog picking up a snake and violently shake it before tossing it into the underbrush while owner praised it. I reported it as cruelty and told the person who posted it that that was really unnecessary and cruel to just kill snakes (video was poor quality but it looked like some kind of rat snake) to which I had about 30 people talk about snakes chasing people posted all kinds of things that show that that's not true and actually had someone who's studying as a herpetologist come on and say the same things I was saying and those people still told us that what brother's best friends uncles girlfriend told them was true and we didn't know what we were talking about 🤦. Honestly was just waiting for someone to bring up the snakes measuring and people to eat them things
Snakes do chase people as Clint admitted in the video. There's plenty of clips on UA-cam of snakes slithering up to someone and then deciding to defend themselves by coming after the person. Just bcs an animal can't eat you doesn't mean it won't chase you.
I really enjoy your channel. I am also a biologist, but the molecular variety. I've always loved animals but never got into pets, until you. I bought a ball python, then another...then a BCI baby, then black eyed leucistic rainbow boa, Hog island boa....Long tailed boa...there doesn't seem to be an end in sight lol. Thanks Clint.
@@ryanorourke1150 I would be scared to own a Gaboon viper. I am not Chandler enough to handle such a snake, and would probably be killed by it cleaning it's enclosure.
@@JoeSReptiles I have a way where I bait him out of his enclosure into a large bin with a rat then I clean the tank I get him back in by tipping the bin over into the tank I do this every time and have not come close to getting bit once
There's a very weird one from Mexico (although the origin might be somewhere else), in which pregnant women or mothers attract snakes (identified just as "alicante" or "cincuate") and these snakes will supposedly approach mothers in their sleep, drink their milk and shut the babies down with their tails like a pacifier. There' also one about "enchanting" a snake, giving it food and if it wanders around your house it will become something like a watchdog and kill trespassers.
I was told when I was getting my ball python that they're boring and don't do anything. Meringue is super chill when being handled, very curious out of his enclosure and he LOVES to explore outside when weather permits. He's the furthest thing from boring and such a sweet noodle.
You know, I just read an article last night about a little girl who's best friend was a fully grown albino reticulated python. She would hold it and cuddle with it all the time. It went off feed, the dad brought the snake to the vet; the vet said nothing's wrong with the snake, but the snake is probably not eating so that it can make space to eat your daughter. I died laughing. Snakes don't think ahead like that, and it's extremely common for constrictors - especially pythons - to go off feed for no apparent reason for months at a time.
When we took our snake in to the shop we were working at for coworkers to see we convinced a couple to hold her. The first thing said was, "She's not slimy!" She was really intrigued by the feel of the snakes belly.
Here in Southern New Mexico, I remember my first time seeing a hog nose. The dogs were going crazy I went outside and it was upside down and curled up. I had no idea what it was (but it wasn't a rattle snake so I assumed it wasn't deadly) so to be safe I got my flat shovel and gently scooped him up and relocated him. Such a cool snake.
I was with family and I told them how much I love snakes and that I would love to have one as a pet, and everyone just looked at me like I was crazy and told me the myth that snakes measure you and other crazy 'facts', I never had heard of it and found it really funny that they believed in it!
I'm afraid of snakes, not when I'm thinking about them but I panic when I try to handle them. I'm watching these videos and they're helping so much. I've even been finding myself wanting a snake, haha.
I love these kinds of videos! Honestly, branching out to different styles of content is probably the best thing you've done with this channel! Amazing content as always, Clint.
I once got the most shocked looks I've ever had aimed at me while in a local museum. I simply made a natural, to me, comment that the Copperhead that they had(freshly done shedding) was absolutely gorgeous! Everyone around me that heard me backed up and looked like I had just announced that I was about to go to the bathroom on the floor! I was just admiring a truly beautiful animal in a safe for both of us space.
ive seen a desert cobra while in iraq and made its way into the area we were living. this seemed like the most angry and aggresive animal on earth, like it chooses violence every second of every day. but now i wonder if this was the "predator approach" thing you were talking about.
And it was probably learned behavior, the humans scared of snakes maybe acted wayyyy scarier. The snake then learned humans are super scary and they need to be tough
My husband's good friend came over to visit us. He noticed our snake enclosures and asked us why we kept snakes. He then proceeded to tell us snakes are cursed. That is really the first time I have heard this one. He really stumped me on this one. I ALMOST laughed at him.
Whoever asked "Do snakes poop?" hasn't dealt with large constrictors 😂. My boa drops grown-man sized poops, and I have it on good authority that Drymarchon are way worse!
I think a follow up to a common misconceptions video could be a "this sounds totally bogus but is totally true" kind of video. The Keelbacked one would be a good one for that, too
Interesting thing I was reading the other day about a woman who was laying down (she lived in a foreign country where venomous snakes are wildlife) and a cobra slithered over her and laid on her with its hood up for a little while. She kept perfectly still and made no sudden moves although she was crying and/or praying (understandably) and after a short time the cobra went on its way and she was absolutely fine. It is human fault/error 99% of the time that causes snake bites and snakes harming humans. Whether that lady froze out of fear or because where venomous snakes are native species there is better education about what to do if they encounter a snake, her inaction undoubtedly saved her life.
Interesting tidbit: the older versions of the Bible don’t refer to satan as a snake. It refers to satan as a serpent several times, but serpents are not necessarily snakes. Historically it was a reference to a large eel bodied, or snake bodied, beast. Like a sea serpent or even dragons. So snakes catch a bad rap because of bad translations/misinterpretations of the word “serpent”.
@@ryancook4771 Well, I am thankful those are not real. Though couldn't you argue that sea snakes are sea serpents? There's also lizards with "dragon" in their names. I know people are stupid, but some are really stupid.
Proud to be apart of the small minority that knows of the keelbacks. I’ve also read that some garters may sequester toxins and are poisonous. Side note: I was in a heated debate the other day. The person stated that rattlesnake venom was mild and could not kill- you didn’t need to be treated. I don’t know where that myth comes from.
The one about the slit pupils probably comes from Europe, where the only venomous snake (the common European adder) has slit pupils. So when you're in Europe, looking at a snake's eyes is actually a good way to tell if it might be venomous or not.
For the last one: Every year on the 6th of August (Feast of the Transfiguration) in the Greek island of Kefalonia, snakes come out at a monastery and pilgrims come to handle them. Then they scatter August 15th (Feast of the Dormition). Very much not of the devil, they are considered snakes of Panagia (A Greek term meaning "All holy" in reference to Christ's mother Mary).
I think the pupil shapes myth might be a UK mnemonic that has got a little out of control...we're an island with 5 snake species with wild populations (at the most recent and generous count, I believe) of which only the adder has any venom (relevant to humans/large mammals) and it's the only one with split pupils. Still not good advise for actual interactions but, as a purely mnemonic device, for us it does work.
My all time favorite misconception is that electric shock can be used as a substitute for anti-venom because it “denatures the venom proteins” 😂 I can just picture the poor snake bite victims getting electrocuted for NO reason.
My partner is from Kenya, and he is really anti-snake. I think it does make more sense in counties where snakes have more medically significant venom and the medical care and transportation to those places are fewer and farther between.
I mean I kind of get it, but there are deadly animals in just about every corner of the world. Usually dangerous encounters happen when a human f's around and finds out. That's no reason to hate every single animal(especially if it's just because they're related to a more deadly animal)
@@CompanionBeans right-but the fear is intentional and for good reason. He was 5-6y years old when he was walking a mile plus alone to get the cows/goats or get water. Avoid all snakes absolutely regardless or you will die is about the best way to communicate the danger to a 5 year old-and it’s the realistic outcome if a kid steps on a viper in a village that doesn’t have 911, emergent medical care, is unattended in the brush, and their village isn’t easily accessible by car-much less ambulance. I tell my kids that drivers don’t watch for kids and I have created a deadly fear of roads and parking lots for them. The other day my 5 year old wasn’t watching and ran close to the street (stoped when I yelled) and the driver was watching and swerved. So now he knows it’s not entirely true that no drivers look-but I don’t want him to bank on that. When you grow up knowing of kids that got bit by a cobra and died, it’s easy to not even come close to trying to f around and find out. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge with us Clint. You helped me escape from 2 years of boredom. As a huge reptile fan, it means so much to see someone with so much passion and sharing it with others. 🐍🦎🐊🐢
Thank you so much for making this video. Both of my grandmothers and my mom are absolutely terrified of my ball python that is completely socialized. Like I could grab her by the head if for some reason I needed to and she wouldn't care and it feels bad that the family is so scared of her and sees her as such a threat
Damm thats rough, I don't think I'd ever have a pet snake as they still kinda creep me out, but I'd never go as far to say its evil. Like if your bieng rational, some snakes just are safe/arent harmful period.if youre going to say any animal is evil (which is dumb because motally judging animals is stupid) tigers are objectively more evil given they sometimes actively hunt and pursue hunans. But they get a pass cause they're cute and cuddly as cubs.
The "snakes don't have personality" thing is especially funny to me. I went thinking that about my BP, since some people in the hobby call them "pet rocks," but I couldn't be more wrong. He *loves* to explore, especially outside his enclosure. He's deeply curious, likes to climb around things like chair legs and banisters, and is super slow to wake up (like me). Not to mention he knows who I am and completely relaxes in my arms when he realizes I'm the one holding him. He's even recently started accepting boops on the nose, as long as I'm the one doing it. Robots they are not.
I’m the thumbnail, I misread “Snakes measure you” as “Snakes reassure you”. Now I’m imagining a cartoon with a snake with their tail over someone’s shoulder like a reassuring hand and the snake saying “You’ll be fine. Everything is ok.”
As someone who loves snakes and routinely picks them up, the only time I have been bitten was when I was catching lizards and accidentally stole the meal of a hidden copperhead. I was at my aunt’s pool and around the edges of the concrete area there were some spaces from where rain washed the dirt away. The lizard I caught had run over the edge of the concrete area and when I grabbed it, my hand went slightly over the lip, which turns out to be right where the copperhead’s face was, whoops. I didn’t even realize what happened, other than that my finger was bleeding, because I didn’t see the snake until later. My uncle took a picture of it so the hospital knew what anti venom to use. He found it chilling in the open not far from where it bit me and it was probably a bit confused on where its lunch went. Very pretty snake though! Good thing our insurance covered the anti venom as well because it is EXPENSIVE.
Thank you, Clint! I raise ball pythons (and keep a variety of others) and my biggest joy in going to shows and expos is educating people. I usually take one of my bel's as who isn't won over by a beautiful white snake with blue eyes. She's my ambassador and if I can even change 1 mind that day, I consider it a win. ❣
I'm aiming to get a BEL of my own when I get my own house 😍 I don't pay much attention to morphs, a snake is a snake, but I saw a couple BEL females in an expo in Lisbon and fell in love. Just hoping the breeder has a few in stock in a few years when my time to get a snake comes 🤞
@@biblicallyaccuratecockroach I'm hoping to start producing some this year. Too bad you aren't in the states, I do ship but only to locations in the US.
@@Wulfgeist I will forever be jealous of the variety available in your country, but all ballies are good ballies, morphs ultimately are just a different coat of paint 🐍 🎨 best of luck in your future endeavours!
The snake you're holding in the intro is absolutely beautiful! I have never been interested in owning a snake, but I certainly appreciate them, find them extremely fascinating, and played with them when I was growing up whenever I could catch them.
I love your channel. I love how you are putting accurate information about reptiles and other exotic pets out there. I have a kind of ridiculous question that applies to none of this: what is that on your right elbow?
While I've never been asked if snakes poop, I have definitely been asked by kids in some of my zoo programs how snakes poop. The thing I've always found interesting is with a group of younger kids (up to like 6-7) if you ask "do you notice a body part that you have and snakes don't have, 9 times out of 10, the first answer I receive is ears. While factual, definitely a surprise that many kids notice the lack of external ear holes before the lack of legs (barring small vestigial legs ofc).
That might be because "of course snakes don't have legs (in their minds) because then they'd be lizards, duh." At least, that's how I remember the attitudes from when I was young.
I’ve always loved snakes and a few years ago I finally got one. Never having owned a reptile before there were many things about her that surprised me. She was really tiny and I was using a magnifying glass to look at her. I was shocked when she moved her eye to look at me. I’d always thought that snakes eyes were fixed in place. I was also surprised that she had a personality. I had thought that snakes were more instinctual than personable if you know what I mean
The slit vs round pupils thing in Europe works nearly perfectly. Vipers/adders here always have the cat eyes while colubrids have rounded eyes. The only exception I know it's the sand boa. It is specially useful to distinguish water snakes from viperids since for the untrained eye they look very very simmilar. Although having said that plz NEVER use this in other parts of the world, since for example emerald boas have slit eyes while king cobras have round pupils so yeah only an euro trick.
@@ItsMasonMoney They have round pupils. At least the ones of North and South America. I don't know about the Coral Snakes of Asia. Yes, there are Coral Snakes in Asia (they're absolutely gorgeous). BTW, Clint mentions that Coral Snakes have round pupils in this very video, if you pay attention and listen for it. 😉
Hey Clint, could you please do a video on Mussarana (Clelia genus)? I have been fascinated ever since I read of a venomous snake that also constricts, or a constricting snake with venom. I never really hear anyone discuss them, but it sounds so unique.
Clint, I just realized that your enthusiasm for reptiles, and particular snakes, has influenced me and I now intend to get a snake, at some point, in the future. Most likely a corn snake; they are so pretty. Of course I would do the research first.
Clint and Snake Discovery are why I finally got a snake! I'd wanted one for a long time but was intimidated because there are so many different kinds (plus there's so much conflicting information about them ALL online) and their care seemed overwhelming. I watched a ton of Clint's videos while I was doing research and his enthusiasm and patient way of explaining things is what finally made me take the leap. (Well, that and the SD video where Emily talks about being bitten because I was terrified of that but knew it was likely to happen at least once haha) I also started with a corn snake. Now I have two and I'm looking into getting a kingsnake. Definitely do it, you won't regret it :)
I have a few snakes, and people are always surprised not only that they're not slimy, but also that their scales vary so much in texture 😂 (e.g., hognose vs corn snake)
My very first hike in Utah on Y Mountain I almost stepped on a rattlesnake and thought it was the coolest thing in the world. The other people on the hike did not enjoy it nearly as much as me 😂
Hey Clint, have you ever considered covering that one Criminal Minds episode in which the killer uses a venomous snake to kind of assassinate their victims? I actually really liked the show in general but that particular episode includes sooo many (in my opinion) harmful misconceptions about snakes and I would love to hear your thoughts on it
I love how you said that the snake statue used by Moses represents Christ's death and its benefit to mankind. Anyways, I love this whole video, very scientific, I'm definitely sharing it to a group educating people about snakes in the Philippines
NOTHING about Moses symbolizes Christ, he was a Jewish prophet from Jewish scripture and had nothing to do with a man who was born half a millennium after that scripture was written. To claim otherwise is supercesionist and therefore antisemitic, though I'm sure Clint was simply unaware of this as most Americans sadly are.
One other response I've heard to the "snakes/cottonmouths chase you" is that snakes look for an escape route, and sometimes that escape route might just happen to be on the other side of you. If there's a bolt hole on the other side of your legs, they might make a dash for that, not considering the idea that coming right towards you might be seen as an aggressive behavior.
I work at a reptile specific zoo, the snake myths I hear are pretty standard. However the amount of grown adults I’ve had ask me if turtles can walk out of their shells is truly shocking.
Snakes are very dangerous because once you hold one you fall in love with them and then cant get enough of them and before you know it you have a snake room... atm 17 snakes. Snakes are amazing and i adore them soo much! Boas are my favorite! Love you video i also do alot of reptile education for the public and ive been asked all of these almost every event i do lol
One of the big myths here in Ohio that started about 30 years ago (or at least was the first time I'd heard it) was that the garter snakes were cross breeding with the copperheads.
@@ResidentEvilShrill The general rule is that they must at least be in the same genus to breed. So if the garter is Thamnophis and the rattlesnake is Crotalus, then they are not breeding together.
It just takes one encounter is very correct- I wasn't at all interested in snakes until my middle school science teacher, who had a pet corn snake named hank that we were allowed to hold and pass around during note-taking sometimes. Hank was a friendly little sweetheart who charmed pretty much the entire class, and though I'm not a snake fanatic I've always had a fondness for them because of Hank. He sat so nicely on your arm while you took notes.
I love your very endearing way of talking about those highly misunderstood animals. Your fascination for them is truly contagious. I mean I love snakes, but watching the closeups in your video just made my eyes go all bright, just thinking how amazingly cool and beautiful they are. ❤
I work at a reptile specific zoo, the snake myths I hear are pretty standard. However the amount of grown adults I’ve had ask me if turtles can walk out of their shells is truly shocking.
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Clint! What a wonderful video! I'm a reptile fan and my boyfriend is getting over his fear of snakes, and this video was perfect. Thank you thank you thank you!
@Clint'sreptiles please correct me but isn't 5:35 a burmese python? Not trying to be a smartalic, just help my confused brain please
Just joined your Patreon as a Stinkin' Rad Fan, and I'm glad I did!
Clint, the ambassadorship and education you do on behalf of reptiles and ultimately all wildlife is both a noble and much-needed thing I'm honored to support.
Matthew
AKA Binro Was Right
I really need to sign up for Patreon and do this
So Clint, first you got your Bs (Bullshit), then you got your MS (Moreshit), then you got your PhD (piled higher and deeper) until you knew more and more about less and less until eventually you knew everything about nothing!
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?
"Well... this is my life now. " they're so chill 😂
Right?? 😂 poor snek
They climb on trees. Do you think they'd be bothered by a strong wind shaking the branches? That's what a human arm is to them; a warm tree branch
@@AllanTidgwell So, a balcony with floor heating!
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
There's a phenomenon with spiders, which have very tiny brains, which can more or less be summarised as (a) aaaiiieee godzilla, flee (b) oh look, there's a nice hiding spot under that godzilla-shaped tree over there. Snakes are brighter but I wouldn't be surprised if something similar occasionally happened with snakes, especially ones that don't see humans often.
@@hjalfi Yup, see this a lot with the spiders, and other inverts like earwigs for that matter, in my bathroom at night. It's kind of cute once you realise what is going on, probably not very helpful for people who are scared of spiders though haha
Exactly. Most of animals can end running in the same direction as lots of animals wait to the last moment to run away and well they sometimes choose wrong direction(they do that as predators can't change direction so quickly) this is also reason why lots of animals are hit by vehicle on the road, they wait for last moment but they don't know that car move way faster than they assume and on top of that they sometimes choose the same way and well... We know how it end
@@hjalfi I had this thought while i was trying to work around a spider while pumping my tires the other day, when it started seemingly running towards me, so I did a semi-circle to see if it was actually coming TOWARDS me or if we chose the same escape path etc etc.
and I think it was probably doing option B because it like DRIFTED to sharply turn to keep following me lol!
I felt like i was in animal crossing with a tarantula chasing me 😂😂
thankfully i realized i should probably just Get Away and i was scaring the poor thing by yelping and shouting so i hopped and skipped way into my house to put as much distance between the spider and I as possible lol
(It was missing one of its legs, too; probably had worse things to deal with than me stomping around like a terrified toddler)
Yep. Also worth noting that snake eyesight is terrible, so they can't necessarily see you are moving away from them at first, just that you are moving, so they panic and run and like you said, take the quickest route out. The fact they panic and follow you might seem weird to some people if the path also goes the other direction, but I think that might be a big part of it.
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
fr its so dumb lol
The irony of people with no intelligence claiming snakes have low intelligence.
To be fair, some of these come from different people. A few people double up on contradictory claims, but I'd wager a decent chunk of these people lean one way or the other with their faulty assumptions about snakes.
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
Your mom sounds like a badass
I love that she called them weenies. Specifically weenies. Absolutely poetic.
Great story, and I appreciate seeing "buffaloed" used in the wild. I'd heard the verb in the sentence "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo, buffalo Buffalo buffalo" (The buffalo from Buffalo who are pushed around by the buffalo from Buffalo, they push around (other) buffalo from Buffalo).
Your mother is great!
Ur Mum is a legend , and mob mentality, go figure
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."
Or why sometimes you see a pair of snakes coiling around a healing staff as an icon relating to medicine.
It wasn't the serpent who tricked Adam and eve in the garden, it was Satan using it as a vessel because he himself couldn't enter the garden. Fun fact by the way, the devil's first choice of animal to take him into the garden was a peacock
if you really wanna blow.their mind, tell them what the gnostic sects believed, that the serpent was actually christ and the god who bade Adam and Eve to not eat the fruit was an impostor and not the real creator.
@@crowdemon_archives That concept is from the greek panthenon though. Hermes had the Caduceus (Two snakes around a staff) and the god of healing, Asclepius, has a staff with just one snake. Ironic the two-snaked staff became the healing symbol...
@@unclemiguel4221 There is nothing in scripture to suggest the serpent was Satan, lol. That's just something some Christians came up with to try and combat the silliness of talking snakes ;)
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.
those same people would be horrified if you told them that its not your fault that you ran over their invasive outdoor cat
Those people are hateful troglodytes. They're just jealous that snakes are more intelligent and useful than they are
Ew, wtf, what kind of people do you have around you? That's evil.
Edit: Sorry, I had no idea that was this common, my mom has a snake, and the fuckers like a brother to me. Although some people in our family aren't fans of snakes, I don't think they'd ever think about hurting Jim, he's part of the family.
People have gotten far too comfortable being assholes to others.
I personally wouldn't get snakes because I have parrots but that's awful. They are living, breathing creatures with needs, too.
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
That's how mine reacts when handled too. She's super chill
They're adorable aren't they? I am very tempted to get a little Hoggy everytime I see one because they're so damn cute!
He's _sizing him up!_ (つ'°ᗝ°`)つ
Lol. Silly. Real talk, what a gorgeous animal. I love the black & orange checked belly. So beautiful! And the pied ball is lovely as well.
@@mookinbabysealfurmittens yeah, same here- I love that pied ball python, too; but it also looks super expensive!!🙂🙂
I’m so glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed how cute the tongue flicks of the hognose were. Just staring at him like :)-
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 😭😭😭"
Man, guess your boas are defective. Crazy that you’d get broken ones three times in a row. xD
I have numerous ball pythons, my leopard boy is my bud and he will even snuggle up with me and take naps.
my grandma told me that story literally two weeks ago when i was showing her pictures of my rat snake lmao. like, he tags me if i move my hand around his face, but that's prey drive, not an active concious attempt to eat or hurt me.
They can put the end of their tail in their mouth and roll downhill like a hoop or bicycle tire!
@@thatonepossum5766 he should really write a complaint to the snake factory, this breach of quality is unacceptable
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.
Also, detailed in reference to Athens, specifically, was the (by the time of writing, rather disbelieved) belief that the Acropolis had a sacred snake guardian who lived down a specific hole in the rock. It was fed honey cakes and never seen.
Snakes in the ancient mediterranean usually had mixed symbolism, but part of it was usually tied to the very perceptible behaviour of shedding as a metaphor of rebirth. In some places this was seen as magical - linking them with hidden powers/knowledge - in others with healing/rebirth/death.
In Greece, most serpentine figures tended to be 'Chthonic'; a cultural class of wilder entities - older gods (or gods who were perceived to be older), some monsters, some benevolent mythical beings, etc. They were frequently associated with concepts like femininity, fertility, darkness, earth, moisture/the sea, animals, uncontrolled behaviour...all the fun stuff, basically.
You have to remember that while snakes' bites might have been dangerous to humans in ancient Greece and they move suddenly...that's true of dogs, wild boar, lions. Prior to modern medicine, I might take my chances with an angry snake over an equally enraged dog. I'd guess that dry bites/non-venomous snakes have better odds of coming up than either rabies or a pack of backup.
I'm always shocked that people totally miss the fact that the form of the serpent was taken as an act of deception. It implies that serpents by default are good and trustworthy, hence the reason to impersonate one.
In finland, before christianity landed there, they were wanted in farms. Snakes were given milk to drink (which I think probably went to hedgehogs instead) and had specific calls to attract them.
In finland there's literally just 3 species of snake and only 1 is venomous. The european adder. So, it's easy to see that there wasn't much fear of them.
In many ancient Hebrew texts their word for serpent translates to dragon rather than snake. It seems pretty ridiculous that humans (the only creatures on the planet capable of evil) associate snakes (not even intelligent enough to understand the concept) as evil beings.
Snakes are also depicted as healers in the Bible.
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.
Oof, I hate this one. I have not been embarrased by my parents very frequently, but the one time that my Dad did something I was really embarrased by was when he got into an argument with a Petco employee because she refused to sell him more Tiger Barbs because his tank size was too small (good for her, honestly,) and he kept insisting that "they won't grow as big if the tank is smaller! Don't tell me how to keep my tank!!" Thankfully, she stuck to her guns and we walked out of the Petco fish-less that day and he eventually gave up on fish-keeping after failing to keep several more unfortunate souls alive. I can only guess that this myth was born from the fact that animals will experience stunted growth if kept in improper enclosures, which is NOT the same thing.
Living in small town USA, I’m our unoffishial fish vet, medicating tanks and koi ponds for neighbors and friends and friends of friends etc. And you’ve definitely struck a nerve there. I hear that ALL. THE. TIME.
I think it was made up by pet stores to sell more animals.
I always respond with "Well, will a human baby stop growing if you keep it in a shoebox?" The answer is obviously no lol!
my dad said this when i told him iguanas get large, he said they grow to the size of their cage and he knows because his friends had them in college. no, your friends in college mistreated their iguanas stunting their growth, it was so irritating to hear and he was so stubborn it was unbelievable
My roommate once confidently informed me that "snakes are the only mammals without spines." Yes, mammals. To add insult to injury, I had a sweet king snake, Balthasar, and I offered to let her touch him to confirm that he was, in fact, mostly spine. She refused because "snakes are slimey." I got a new roommate before the end of the first semester.
The important question is where would the teats be?
@@mwalton9526I'm sure there's some very imaginative artists who are willing to answer that question foe you
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.
try telling her the reason the snake didnt try to bite you is because it just wanted to get away, snakes are more scared of you than ur scared of them
That's really sad. If her father took a calmer approach and didn't scare her I'm sure she would've been more open to snakes
Although I totally understand how a father would freak out. Imagine if it was rattlesnake
Unfortunately her Father gorilla glued, hot glued, staple gunned, railroad spiked and nail gunned that fear deep inside her. It's probably there for good.
My mother has not been through a smililarly dramatic story, but she goes otu of her way to kill snakes that intrude on her lawn. Despite the fact that all reptiles are protected species in Sweden... I get being afraid of spiders or snakes or dentists, but at least I rationalise that it'd be pretty mean to show up to my appointment with a shotgun.
She just upset she thought she got a free really nice rope
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 :)
Oh my gosh, I've actually never heard of that! WTF is wrong with those people?? Also, I would expect the snake tongue to tickle similarly to cat whiskers? I have no clue, but I do have cats so I can only make a guess. lol
Oh yeah, this misconception is present even in some old literature and poetry.
I never heard of this one. It’s weird.
Does it feel similar to a butterfly tickling you with it's proboscis?
Hackberry Emperors like to land on people and drink up sweat.
It feels tickly weird. ❤
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.
They don't need to be smart - they're cute :3
@@edwardhisse2687 , cute being a relative term; but I won't argue with that.
Does your BP also lack a general understanding of gravity and sometimes nearly go plop because it lets go or over stretches?
@@TinySwanGrandAdventures Mine definitely does, she has a skewed concept of "safe" distance
@@bashful_vixen2020 Mine have absolutely no concept that gravity exists and their weight will make them fall.
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!
he got a kiss from the fierce snake, a little lick on the face! nothing else!
Loved that special as a kid.
Have you seen the trip to Africa he did looking for the Black Mamba? He found a lot of other kinds too.
@@B0mber44 Yep! My first time watching Steve was the spitting cobras episode. I used to have the VHS of the episode.
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
i can totally relate, had a talk when i was like 10 with my teacher telling her why she was pointing at an alligator not a crocodile
I've always hated when science or biology teachers don't actually do enough research and claim they know everything. 🙄 one teacher got mad at me and said ooh why don't you teach the class. So I did...and made the teacher look stupid.
Ur biology teacher?!?! 😂 wow that’s sad
It isn't a particularly bad thing that a biology teacher didn't know this, they do have a hell a lot to know after all. The problem is more that they lacked the humility to admit defeat, or consider that they were wrong.
@Bartu When people come at me with that one, I always say "Explain coral snakes then". Sadly, it's usually about what snakes you can pick up and which ones you can't and I have to say that if that's how you're identifying them, you need to not pick anything up.
I leave them alone anyway because should a king snake or gopher snake bite me and mess up a tooth, while the bite isn't bad for me, it could be bad for that snake. They're trying to survive in a tough world.
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.
You could almost say it was a… snake on a plane.
They could have given it to some stewardess or passenger.
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.
Renaissance Scholar: *Discusses how to identify venomous snakes.*
Cobra: We're gonna do a trollin'.
that doesnt even apply to all european snakes though! out of the five species we have in spain only three of them are vipers ^^
That's really cool, I never knew that!
Yeah, but even in Europe that's a safe bet, not an accurate one. All European venomous snakes have slit pupils, but not all snakes that have slit pupils in Europe are venomous.
@@rataslesbianass we have seven in germany, two of which are venomous, only one of which has that triangular head. And it turns out the asp viper is less dangerous than the common adder. And even that needs to bite multiple times with venom to get you.
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!)
Guess he was blessed by a messenger from Asclepius ;)
I love this so much
Can't stand kids like this I raise mine to respect nature not liter and find animals fascinating. He loves our 5 foot northern pine. She is the sweetest snake. If someone was terrified of snakes she'd break it out of them
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
YES I have a Betta in a ten gallon and the PERSONALITY ON HIM
I want a bird so bad, one that is flighted and can fly to me, but as I have the best bird predator as a pet. I just can't.
Not not mention alot of kids wind up with a ball python as a first snake. Sold one of my babies a couple years ago, lovely leo boy I think it was, for some 9-10 ish girl. She was tired of him by the end of the month because he was "boring" and he got passed on to a neighbor. I lost track of him after that. The more shows I do the more *I* learn on vetting potential buyers and making sure the fit will be one to hopefully last the lifetime of the snake.
@@Wulfgeist oh ouch. I know some dog breeders have first right of refusal contracted into their buyer's agreements to stop things like this, where the person has to offer the animal back before selling or rehoming it. Maybe reptile breeders should consider that too,though I don't know if many would want to deal with the hassle
@@melskunk I've pondered that but people would basically want a refund and I'd have a bunch of buyers remorse snakes I'd have to buy back and then quaranteen. I might tell them they could bring them back but there would be no reimbursement in that case. Rather have to set up a couple more QT racks then people do not too bright things like releasing them.
@@Wulfgeist yeah, I have had
a reptile obsession my entire life, especially Snapping Turtles. I have Alligator Snappers, & they take them back if they get too ginormous or folks can’t care for them. No refunds though- folks were abusing it.)
I think it might be a part of the requirement for him selling captive bred endangered species? So people don’t release them in the wild. He owns several large ponds & small lakes in Lake of the Ozarks that they go live in outside.
In Kansas we have local pet stores that will buy/take people’s snakes/reptiles they don’t want, especially snakes, & sell them to new ‘forever homes.’
(ps, I am a lifer for my Snappers, & am planning on am outdoor pool!!)🙂🙂
That fact about swallowing snake venom was pretty cool. I don't think I ever considered what would happen if you actually drank it.
When I was real little, a cousin of mine had a few snakes. He let me hold his ball python a few times and I was absolutely fascinated. I learned early that they aren't slimy at all. If you go fishing for fresh water fish, those are slimy, but not snakes. I think snakes and cats both get a bad rap from people who just don't know about them.
It's also possible that they mistook an eel for a snake and spread that snakes are slimy. (Shrugs)
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!
I found a water snake not long ago and it really had no escape path so I went to move it out of the way and all it did was smack me with its nose, once it was being actively picked up and moved it just kept trying to escape, not bite. Water snakes act all tough but they're just giant bitches
@@BeetleBuns
So it did a bluff strike
16:06 My 75 y/o grandmother was bitten by an eastern diamond back rattlesnake, the dogs had cornered it on the stoop by the back door and so when she opened the door to see what they were barking at it got her in the foot. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance where they realized that the shock of being bitten had caused her to have a heart attack and then at the hospital they gave her the antivenom which she had an allergic reaction. Despite all of that she made a full recovery other than a permanent limp and lived for another ten years.
That's crazy! She must've had the will to live with her or she wouldn't have made it through all that!
A lot of people lose all reason when confronted with the very idea that snakes might not be obviously evil and gross. I do also find the only useful thing you can say then is a basic question you let them try to answer: "Why isn't it attacking you?" "Why would it?" Great example. "Isn't it going to kill you?" "...How?" I have been told recently that even having the enclosures in a room NEAR my bedroom will somehow taint me with evil/disease or be hazardous to my health. I couldn't get them to explain that one. "But the DIRT!" Re: bioactive substrate. "You mean the stuff that's everywhere all around my room via the Outdoors and in which I played as a child?"
Lmao, like somehow having a terrarium, which is more likely to be way cleaner and controlled for multiple reasons, in a bedroom is any worse than rolling in the dirt outside your patio.
@@crowdemon_archives Right? That's basically what I said. "I do spend a lot of time in my garden! This is cleaner!"
It's weird that people think snakes are more dirty or dangerous to human health than picking up after your dog or cleaning out a cat litter box.
Evil people don't attack much, much larger, stronger beings either.
Doesn't make them any less evil. Snakes are almost all predators and their prey definitely doesn't want to be eaten.
Clint, fantastic video as always. As a believer, I hear the "Snakes are evil" misconception all the time. Thank you for addressing this with facts and references even from Scripture. I have had to explain this so many times to folks which is understandable, but it is such a disservice to the animal. Snakes are doing their thing to survive. Any animal could and have been used for good and evil. It's not the animal's fault that they were used for nefarious purposes. I really hope I get a chance to come out to Utah at some point. I would absolutely love to tour the Reptile Room. I love this channel so much, and these videos have taught me a wealth of knowledge about reptiles of all kinds.
if snakes are evil I don't wanna be good lol
My dad's family is very Christian and once I started owning snakes, they all came to him and were concerned with my "behavior" because they thought the snakes were minions of Satan and would cause me to "stray" from the path of good. They legit thought me getting pet snakes was a sign of the devil's work...
@@xBloodxFangx omg lol
@@xBloodxFangx Especially when you know that the snake who got Adam and Eve banished from the Garden of Eden after tricking them into eating the forbidden fruit was none other than the devil himself (Satan) in disguise.
That and Moses raised a bronze statue of a snake by command from God . The full story behind that was that the Israelites were once complaining about their situation and as punishment God commanded a large group of snakes to bite them , Moses was then commanded to raise the statue since he had previously pleaded to God for forgiveness. The statue wasn’t a symbol of Christ per say as it was more of a symbol of healing that would later become a parallel to the crucifixion.
The predator approach thing reminds me of how one of the best ways to prevent a tiger from attacking you is to wear a mask on the back of your head, because it makes the tiger think you can see it. If a stealth predator like a tiger thinks it has lost the element of surprise, they’re more likely to not bother hunting you to begin with, keeping you and the tiger more safe
When I first saw the "measuring to eat you" thing I thought it was crazy! Snakes are the embodiment of "head empty, no thoughts"..they kinda just do stuff they never think ahead, if they did they'd be seen acting like humans with pens of mice where every month they eat a few babies (or larger things like bunnies, ect). Last time our big burmese pythn got out (we gave him a better cage after, he's no longer with us sadly) he kinda curled in bed with my grandma (under her pillow I think?), it absolutely spooked her..he wasn't there to eat her or anything he just wanted a warm soft spot to curl up in after getting out.
Only snakes I really see on the usual for my area are cute little garden snakes (Garter snake), my brothers used to go out and catch them before bringing them home; we also have rattlers but I haven't personally seen any..they prefer to not be around humans and just making noise will cause them to hide so you'll never really see any, I've seen the holes they hide in the ground with but nothing more not even a rattle from their tails. When I hear people getting bitten I first assume they were either drunk and messing with the snake (as you mentioned) or were just bothering the snake.
yeah, as reptiles they're ectotherm, they just cuddle up to get warm.
I believe the memory aid about snake pupils and vertical pupils meaning venomous might come from western/central Europe like Germany, France, Luxemburg, Belgium, etc. Over here, the only venomous snakes we have are members of the Vipera genus and the only other snakes are Coronella or Natrix and maybe a few other diurnal colubrids. As luck would have it, despite being completely unrelated to them being venomous, only the vipers have slit pupils and it actually works as a distinctionby sheer coincidence. Maybe it made its way across the Atlantic via the internet or something. But I agree, it would still be dumb to get close enough to see.
Less likely the internet since even my great-grandparents said it, more likely the fact that America and Canada were primarily settled by Europeans and the descendants of Europeans.
I mean, it probably made its way across the Atlantic with Columbus and just never left - the average person in America believes *a lot* of random medieval european folklore because it has just Always been a part of the culture even when the relevant beliefs have been out of date for five centuries.
True. In Europe it works that way because of that and it was even mentioned in old books. The shape of the head was another indicator, since Natrix have rounder heads and vipers have a triangular shape head, but in general people will just stay away from any snake because most people can't tell the difference between a water snake and a viper.
@@JoaoPedroPT696 and than you look at the common european adder, and it breaks the head shape rule. Sure, the head is wider at the back, but the same applies to nearly all snakes. Or animals in general.
I was bitten by a rattlesnake, it gave me tons of warnings but I didn't recognize the sound & kept looking around trying to figure out what it was. Luckily for me, it was a dry bite
it is amazing how all these myths were actually published in school books.
I remember when I was a kid and always loved science classes and I vividly remember these myths in my books.
And.many people spread them because....well, that is what we learned with the limited knowledge we had. I even remember the myth about the lemings running to their death on a cliff.... also from very known old books. :p
This made me really upset about my schooling, because it meant the school is just spreading misinformation and I also just wasted my time there.
the lemmings myth was from a Disney documentary when the cameramen actually chased them off the cliff
@@gladeloy3341 Lemmings do sometimes actually run into water...in an attempt to swim across. Sometimes they do drown, simply because the distance was too great for them to cross.
Wait, the lemings thing isn't real??? Then what started that whole thing?
@@ResidentEvilShrill Disney made a 'documentary' full of lies.
I had a few closely supervised meetings between my cat and my corn snake. She was sniffing the back end of the snake and lost track of the front. And the snake sniffed her back end. She levitated about four feet, ran off, and never wanted anything to do with her again
😆
I try to general keep them separated anyway, but my cat couldn't care any less about the snakes. Even my fiancee's cat shows barely a curiosity. Makes me feel better that if they did ever get out, they wouldn't immediately be mangled.
I have two cats and I'd love to get a ball python. I absolutely never would let them be together unsupervised but I guess I would let them learn about each other and hopefully establish a kind of neutral relationship so if the snake ever got out, the cats wouldn't try to eat it immediately... hopefully... they are both not very passionate hunters anyway
I work with kids and I wanted to bring my pet snake into the office, and one of the kids told me snakes don’t have bones. I didn’t ask them, but I asked the rest of the kids after if snakes had bones, and like most of them said no! Some tried to tell me I was wrong!!! I would say I was floored too lol
What kind of office has children in it? A doctor's office?
wish my bones could move like a snake though
@@DasAntiNaziBroetchen I work at a level 4 mental health institution for children
@@Printermaches It all makes sense now.
you can tell them that snakes have so many bones they actually have set the record for "most bones." A photo of a snake skeleton with all those ribs and vertibrae might blow their minds (in a good way!)
Thank you for addressing the "personality" issue. Since I've owned my snakes I have noticed how they react with me and I think " there's no way this creature doesn't have a personality" . I love my snakes (all 7 of them) and interacting with them is extremely fascinating. Great work you do here! I love your channel!
5:02 "Snakes chase people" is one I heard a lot in Florida, mostly referring to the FL Cottonmouth, and specifically when it is in the water. I have had people swear to me they saw the snake chasing them out of the water! My own personal experience with this has been to see a Cottonmouth coming towards me doing what I felt was quite clearly investigating some splashing in the water. As piscivorous snakes, they probably LOVE to find a fish that is injured and splashing a bit, making for an easier meal. Their close mimic, the FL Banded Watersnake, does the same thing and if you were to ask me is much more aggressive about it than the Cottonmouth.
Similarly the people of Florida often swear these snakes will leap out of trees to attack them in their boats as they go by branches that overhang the water. I have had a Banded Watersnake land in my kayak a couple of times also, but never as an "attack," they were most likely sunning themselves in the branches, basking, while near their favorite escape route--the water--when my presence startled them out of the branches but accidentally into my kayak. While this happened to me twice, more than a dozen other times the snakes would hit the water ten or more feet ahead of me.
Finally, yet another thing I heard from many people in Florida, is that the Mud Snake has a venomous stinger and if it stings you with it's tail you are in more danger than from the Eastern Diamondback! Having caught a couple Mud Snakes and Rainbow Snakes (Farancia abacura and F. erytrogramma respectively)and felt the jab of the little hard, pointy scale at the end of their tails firsthand, I guess I can understand the origins of such a myth, especially from back in the old days when these highly aquatic snakes probably could cause a serious infection from such a jab. They use those sharp pointy scales to anchor themselves in the muck as they hunt Sirens and I imagine they must work fairly well! (By the way, I have no problem claiming those two snakes are easily the most beautiful snakes in North America, even beating out the San Francisco Garter, the Rough Green Snake and Pygmy Rattlesnake! Prove me wrong!! 🤪)
Wow, I want to go herping with you!
Cottonmouths are curious plus if they’re following you they probably want to follow your shadow for shade
The snakes chasing people drives me insane. On Reddit someone posted a video of a dog picking up a snake and violently shake it before tossing it into the underbrush while owner praised it. I reported it as cruelty and told the person who posted it that that was really unnecessary and cruel to just kill snakes (video was poor quality but it looked like some kind of rat snake) to which I had about 30 people talk about snakes chasing people posted all kinds of things that show that that's not true and actually had someone who's studying as a herpetologist come on and say the same things I was saying and those people still told us that what brother's best friends uncles girlfriend told them was true and we didn't know what we were talking about 🤦. Honestly was just waiting for someone to bring up the snakes measuring and people to eat them things
Snakes are absolutely harmless if you leave them alone. Sicking your dog on them is horrible!
Honestly that is sickening! Some people on Reddit are sick!
Well the first mistake was assuming Redditors had any sort of intelligence.
Not only was the poor snake harmed, but that dog could've ALSO been harmed had it attacked a venomous snake that decided to strike back.
Snakes do chase people as Clint admitted in the video. There's plenty of clips on UA-cam of snakes slithering up to someone and then deciding to defend themselves by coming after the person.
Just bcs an animal can't eat you doesn't mean it won't chase you.
I really enjoy your channel. I am also a biologist, but the molecular variety. I've always loved animals but never got into pets, until you. I bought a ball python, then another...then a BCI baby, then black eyed leucistic rainbow boa, Hog island boa....Long tailed boa...there doesn't seem to be an end in sight lol. Thanks Clint.
I've got a checkered garter snake, an a-melanistic corn snake, a sand boa, even a Gaboon viper. Snakes are such unique and rad creatures.
@@ryanorourke1150 I would be scared to own a Gaboon viper. I am not Chandler enough to handle such a snake, and would probably be killed by it cleaning it's enclosure.
@@JoeSReptiles I have a way where I bait him out of his enclosure into a large bin with a rat then I clean the tank I get him back in by tipping the bin over into the tank I do this every time and have not come close to getting bit once
@@ryanorourke1150 I'm glad you have a system worked out. I just wouldn't be brave enough to own one, and I have two human toddlers.
@@JoeSReptiles makes sense
The weirdest myth is that of "hoop snakes" - snakes which bite the end of their tail and roll around like a wheel.
As far as I know that’s from Native American mythology, I don’t think it’s generally treated as something that actually exists
damn it PURPLE THUNDA, I just made a funny about that thinking I was the only one to remember the hoop snake thing!!
There is a Japanese mythical snake that dose that in it's fairy tale.
@@catcrimes80Yep, the Tsuchinoko.
There is a lizard tho that has this ability if I'm not mistaken
There's a very weird one from Mexico (although the origin might be somewhere else), in which pregnant women or mothers attract snakes (identified just as "alicante" or "cincuate") and these snakes will supposedly approach mothers in their sleep, drink their milk and shut the babies down with their tails like a pacifier. There' also one about "enchanting" a snake, giving it food and if it wanders around your house it will become something like a watchdog and kill trespassers.
I’ve also heard that story from my mom. Weird.
Alicantes actually do exist and are amazing! I actually used to own one. He was a beauty! Though I don’t know about the story…
That's surprisingly tame by the standards of "terrible things people claim snakes do"
Of all the animals they chose one that can't even suck.
"snakes are the perfect shape for a snake to eat" is now one of my favorite sentences ever.
I was told when I was getting my ball python that they're boring and don't do anything.
Meringue is super chill when being handled, very curious out of his enclosure and he LOVES to explore outside when weather permits. He's the furthest thing from boring and such a sweet noodle.
I named my new and first bp Zest because she’s a demented little noodle. She was really active which is why I got her
Yeah, he basically ignores you. That's boring compared to most pet mammals.
@@MrCmon113 I'm Autistic, so having an animal that isn't as aggressively needy is refreshing xD
You know, I just read an article last night about a little girl who's best friend was a fully grown albino reticulated python. She would hold it and cuddle with it all the time. It went off feed, the dad brought the snake to the vet; the vet said nothing's wrong with the snake, but the snake is probably not eating so that it can make space to eat your daughter.
I died laughing. Snakes don't think ahead like that, and it's extremely common for constrictors - especially pythons - to go off feed for no apparent reason for months at a time.
ayo no way I got the same video 1 year later (I tried to point out how stupid it is and got bashed for it, you can't argue against stupid people)
When we took our snake in to the shop we were working at for coworkers to see we convinced a couple to hold her. The first thing said was, "She's not slimy!" She was really intrigued by the feel of the snakes belly.
My fiancee's mom said the same thing! She was surprised at how soft and dry mine are. 😅
I love how snakes feel, they're so soft and smooth! My dad used to own 2
The last time I touched a snake (probably a boa) it just felt dry and scaly, with the softness of chicken breastmeat lol
I'm always amazed when I run into an adult who believes snakes are "slimy."
Here in Southern New Mexico, I remember my first time seeing a hog nose. The dogs were going crazy I went outside and it was upside down and curled up. I had no idea what it was (but it wasn't a rattle snake so I assumed it wasn't deadly) so to be safe I got my flat shovel and gently scooped him up and relocated him. Such a cool snake.
They are the best. Thanks for helping it ❤️
I was with family and I told them how much I love snakes and that I would love to have one as a pet, and everyone just looked at me like I was crazy and told me the myth that snakes measure you and other crazy 'facts', I never had heard of it and found it really funny that they believed in it!
Snakes are amazing creatures who are very kindhearted if domesticated. My corn snake is currently in shed- it’s like she’s getting bigger by the week
gays should be jailed
I'm afraid of snakes, not when I'm thinking about them but I panic when I try to handle them. I'm watching these videos and they're helping so much. I've even been finding myself wanting a snake, haha.
May I suggest.....first find someone with a python, preferably a Ball Python. They are some of the most chill snakes out there. Get some practice. 👍
I love these kinds of videos! Honestly, branching out to different styles of content is probably the best thing you've done with this channel! Amazing content as always, Clint.
I once got the most shocked looks I've ever had aimed at me while in a local museum. I simply made a natural, to me, comment that the Copperhead that they had(freshly done shedding) was absolutely gorgeous! Everyone around me that heard me backed up and looked like I had just announced that I was about to go to the bathroom on the floor! I was just admiring a truly beautiful animal in a safe for both of us space.
ive seen a desert cobra while in iraq and made its way into the area we were living. this seemed like the most angry and aggresive animal on earth, like it chooses violence every second of every day. but now i wonder if this was the "predator approach" thing you were talking about.
I'm sad, i didn't see any cobra. Lots of camel spider, geckos, and a nifty sand boa.
And it was probably learned behavior, the humans scared of snakes maybe acted wayyyy scarier. The snake then learned humans are super scary and they need to be tough
Honey badgers are probably one of the few animals that will choose violence throughout the day
Cobras do predator approach a lot, so yup 😉
@@J.A.huscher goose goes all out
My husband's good friend came over to visit us. He noticed our snake enclosures and asked us why we kept snakes. He then proceeded to tell us snakes are cursed. That is really the first time I have heard this one. He really stumped me on this one. I ALMOST laughed at him.
That's rude... I get similar speeches about owning a Pit Bull. If someone said that coming to my house though, I'd probably ask them to leave
@@BriDia3 I told him snakes are amazing animals and are very misunderstood. They make fantastic pets.
@@ashleydobbs9877 they truly are!
@@ashleydobbs9877Unlike dogs, which can and do kill people.
Whoever asked "Do snakes poop?" hasn't dealt with large constrictors 😂. My boa drops grown-man sized poops, and I have it on good authority that Drymarchon are way worse!
I about died the first time my snake ( ball python) farted. And cleaning up the first poop, I was like, I swear, this is worse than the cats!
There are people who still think snakes poop at the tip of the tail
I think a follow up to a common misconceptions video could be a "this sounds totally bogus but is totally true" kind of video. The Keelbacked one would be a good one for that, too
Interesting thing I was reading the other day about a woman who was laying down (she lived in a foreign country where venomous snakes are wildlife) and a cobra slithered over her and laid on her with its hood up for a little while. She kept perfectly still and made no sudden moves although she was crying and/or praying (understandably) and after a short time the cobra went on its way and she was absolutely fine. It is human fault/error 99% of the time that causes snake bites and snakes harming humans. Whether that lady froze out of fear or because where venomous snakes are native species there is better education about what to do if they encounter a snake, her inaction undoubtedly saved her life.
Interesting tidbit: the older versions of the Bible don’t refer to satan as a snake. It refers to satan as a serpent several times, but serpents are not necessarily snakes. Historically it was a reference to a large eel bodied, or snake bodied, beast. Like a sea serpent or even dragons. So snakes catch a bad rap because of bad translations/misinterpretations of the word “serpent”.
Now you basically just said "Snakes shouldn't get a bad rap. It's actually the dragons and sea serpents that are bad.".
@@DasAntiNaziBroetchenyea. I’d rather we direct irrational fear and hatred toward the mythological creatures, than the real living ones.
@@ryancook4771 Well, I am thankful those are not real.
Though couldn't you argue that sea snakes are sea serpents? There's also lizards with "dragon" in their names.
I know people are stupid, but some are really stupid.
Proud to be apart of the small minority that knows of the keelbacks. I’ve also read that some garters may sequester toxins and are poisonous.
Side note: I was in a heated debate the other day. The person stated that rattlesnake venom was mild and could not kill- you didn’t need to be treated. I don’t know where that myth comes from.
The one about the slit pupils probably comes from Europe, where the only venomous snake (the common European adder) has slit pupils. So when you're in Europe, looking at a snake's eyes is actually a good way to tell if it might be venomous or not.
For the last one: Every year on the 6th of August (Feast of the Transfiguration) in the Greek island of Kefalonia, snakes come out at a monastery and pilgrims come to handle them. Then they scatter August 15th (Feast of the Dormition). Very much not of the devil, they are considered snakes of Panagia (A Greek term meaning "All holy" in reference to Christ's mother Mary).
And the same ppl that handle them will chop the head of the same and any other snake if they see it enywhere else
@@Thebeetlemangr huh? That doesn't make sense
Your hognose is the most chill calm non dramatic snake I've ever seen. Such a pretty adorable snake. So derpy makes them adorable.
I think the pupil shapes myth might be a UK mnemonic that has got a little out of control...we're an island with 5 snake species with wild populations (at the most recent and generous count, I believe) of which only the adder has any venom (relevant to humans/large mammals) and it's the only one with split pupils.
Still not good advise for actual interactions but, as a purely mnemonic device, for us it does work.
My all time favorite misconception is that electric shock can be used as a substitute for anti-venom because it “denatures the venom proteins” 😂 I can just picture the poor snake bite victims getting electrocuted for NO reason.
“Doctor. I got bit- OW!!!”
My partner is from Kenya, and he is really anti-snake. I think it does make more sense in counties where snakes have more medically significant venom and the medical care and transportation to those places are fewer and farther between.
I mean I kind of get it, but there are deadly animals in just about every corner of the world. Usually dangerous encounters happen when a human f's around and finds out. That's no reason to hate every single animal(especially if it's just because they're related to a more deadly animal)
@@CompanionBeans right-but the fear is intentional and for good reason. He was 5-6y years old when he was walking a mile plus alone to get the cows/goats or get water. Avoid all snakes absolutely regardless or you will die is about the best way to communicate the danger to a 5 year old-and it’s the realistic outcome if a kid steps on a viper in a village that doesn’t have 911, emergent medical care, is unattended in the brush, and their village isn’t easily accessible by car-much less ambulance.
I tell my kids that drivers don’t watch for kids and I have created a deadly fear of roads and parking lots for them. The other day my 5 year old wasn’t watching and ran close to the street (stoped when I yelled) and the driver was watching and swerved. So now he knows it’s not entirely true that no drivers look-but I don’t want him to bank on that. When you grow up knowing of kids that got bit by a cobra and died, it’s easy to not even come close to trying to f around and find out. 🤷🏻♀️
@@CompanionBeans Africa has a disproportionate amount of deadly animals. But i agree on the rest of your point.
Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge with us Clint. You helped me escape from 2 years of boredom. As a huge reptile fan, it means so much to see someone with so much passion and sharing it with others. 🐍🦎🐊🐢
Thank you so much for making this video. Both of my grandmothers and my mom are absolutely terrified of my ball python that is completely socialized. Like I could grab her by the head if for some reason I needed to and she wouldn't care and it feels bad that the family is so scared of her and sees her as such a threat
I have a ball python and the amount of times I’ve had my parents tell me that she’s evil just makes me sad.
Truly, its heartbreaking 💔 I know the feeling…
Ball pythons are very sweet. :) they have cute kitty faces too
Damm thats rough, I don't think I'd ever have a pet snake as they still kinda creep me out, but I'd never go as far to say its evil. Like if your bieng rational, some snakes just are safe/arent harmful period.if youre going to say any animal is evil (which is dumb because motally judging animals is stupid) tigers are objectively more evil given they sometimes actively hunt and pursue hunans. But they get a pass cause they're cute and cuddly as cubs.
The "snakes don't have personality" thing is especially funny to me. I went thinking that about my BP, since some people in the hobby call them "pet rocks," but I couldn't be more wrong. He *loves* to explore, especially outside his enclosure. He's deeply curious, likes to climb around things like chair legs and banisters, and is super slow to wake up (like me). Not to mention he knows who I am and completely relaxes in my arms when he realizes I'm the one holding him. He's even recently started accepting boops on the nose, as long as I'm the one doing it.
Robots they are not.
I’m the thumbnail, I misread “Snakes measure you” as “Snakes reassure you”. Now I’m imagining a cartoon with a snake with their tail over someone’s shoulder like a reassuring hand and the snake saying “You’ll be fine. Everything is ok.”
As someone who loves snakes and routinely picks them up, the only time I have been bitten was when I was catching lizards and accidentally stole the meal of a hidden copperhead. I was at my aunt’s pool and around the edges of the concrete area there were some spaces from where rain washed the dirt away. The lizard I caught had run over the edge of the concrete area and when I grabbed it, my hand went slightly over the lip, which turns out to be right where the copperhead’s face was, whoops. I didn’t even realize what happened, other than that my finger was bleeding, because I didn’t see the snake until later. My uncle took a picture of it so the hospital knew what anti venom to use. He found it chilling in the open not far from where it bit me and it was probably a bit confused on where its lunch went. Very pretty snake though! Good thing our insurance covered the anti venom as well because it is EXPENSIVE.
that one snek he lays down to explain is like "NOOOO HOLD ME CLINT!"
This answered so many questions that I have been asked and you explained everything perfectly! Thank you so much for your videos
Thank you, Clint! I raise ball pythons (and keep a variety of others) and my biggest joy in going to shows and expos is educating people. I usually take one of my bel's as who isn't won over by a beautiful white snake with blue eyes. She's my ambassador and if I can even change 1 mind that day, I consider it a win. ❣
I'm aiming to get a BEL of my own when I get my own house 😍 I don't pay much attention to morphs, a snake is a snake, but I saw a couple BEL females in an expo in Lisbon and fell in love. Just hoping the breeder has a few in stock in a few years when my time to get a snake comes 🤞
@@biblicallyaccuratecockroach I'm hoping to start producing some this year. Too bad you aren't in the states, I do ship but only to locations in the US.
@@Wulfgeist I will forever be jealous of the variety available in your country, but all ballies are good ballies, morphs ultimately are just a different coat of paint 🐍 🎨 best of luck in your future endeavours!
The snake you're holding in the intro is absolutely beautiful! I have never been interested in owning a snake, but I certainly appreciate them, find them extremely fascinating, and played with them when I was growing up whenever I could catch them.
Is that snake poisonous? "No idea, I've never eaten one!"
🤣
Guy and snake cuddling. The snake has no idea that humans CAN size up a future meal....
I love your channel. I love how you are putting accurate information about reptiles and other exotic pets out there. I have a kind of ridiculous question that applies to none of this: what is that on your right elbow?
While I've never been asked if snakes poop, I have definitely been asked by kids in some of my zoo programs how snakes poop. The thing I've always found interesting is with a group of younger kids (up to like 6-7) if you ask "do you notice a body part that you have and snakes don't have, 9 times out of 10, the first answer I receive is ears. While factual, definitely a surprise that many kids notice the lack of external ear holes before the lack of legs (barring small vestigial legs ofc).
Well the lack of legs is too obvious! It's just kinda a given that snakes don't have legs or arms. Lol 😂
That might be because "of course snakes don't have legs (in their minds) because then they'd be lizards, duh." At least, that's how I remember the attitudes from when I was young.
Humans are very facially oriented. If you had an armless, earless man the kids would probably notice the missing ears first.
I’ve always loved snakes and a few years ago I finally got one. Never having owned a reptile before there were many things about her that surprised me. She was really tiny and I was using a magnifying glass to look at her. I was shocked when she moved her eye to look at me. I’d always thought that snakes eyes were fixed in place. I was also surprised that she had a personality. I had thought that snakes were more instinctual than personable if you know what I mean
The slit vs round pupils thing in Europe works nearly perfectly. Vipers/adders here always have the cat eyes while colubrids have rounded eyes. The only exception I know it's the sand boa. It is specially useful to distinguish water snakes from viperids since for the untrained eye they look very very simmilar. Although having said that plz NEVER use this in other parts of the world, since for example emerald boas have slit eyes while king cobras have round pupils so yeah only an euro trick.
Works for some of the US too but flordia is the new australia so it wont work there 🤣 and im not sure what type of eye coral snakes have.
@@ItsMasonMoney They have round pupils. At least the ones of North and South America. I don't know about the Coral Snakes of Asia. Yes, there are Coral Snakes in Asia (they're absolutely gorgeous). BTW, Clint mentions that Coral Snakes have round pupils in this very video, if you pay attention and listen for it. 😉
The "Venomous vs Poisonous" fact I learned at an early age and it blew my little mind. Probably my most recited fun fact for years
Hey Clint, could you please do a video on Mussarana (Clelia genus)? I have been fascinated ever since I read of a venomous snake that also constricts, or a constricting snake with venom.
I never really hear anyone discuss them, but it sounds so unique.
If you like constricting venomous snakes, you would love the genus Ovophis
That sounds like a worthy thing to be taught about, for sure!
I have a pair of Boas and they're siblings. They have total opposite personalities and preferences. its so interesting to experience
Clint, I just realized that your enthusiasm for reptiles, and particular snakes, has influenced me and I now intend to get a snake, at some point, in the future. Most likely a corn snake; they are so pretty. Of course I would do the research first.
Clint and Snake Discovery are why I finally got a snake! I'd wanted one for a long time but was intimidated because there are so many different kinds (plus there's so much conflicting information about them ALL online) and their care seemed overwhelming. I watched a ton of Clint's videos while I was doing research and his enthusiasm and patient way of explaining things is what finally made me take the leap. (Well, that and the SD video where Emily talks about being bitten because I was terrified of that but knew it was likely to happen at least once haha)
I also started with a corn snake. Now I have two and I'm looking into getting a kingsnake. Definitely do it, you won't regret it :)
I've loved snakes for over half my life. this right here is great to see. A video Educating people about misconceptions about snakes.
Hognose: An opossum! Oh no! *"dies"*
Opossum: A snake! Oh no! *"dies"*
*The standoff begins*
This is giving
Metapod use harden
Absolutely loving the longer videos 😍 always packed with fantastic information! Thankyou Clint 🌿🦎 x
I have a few snakes, and people are always surprised not only that they're not slimy, but also that their scales vary so much in texture 😂 (e.g., hognose vs corn snake)
Some of these ideas people apparently have about snakes are nuts, watching this made me feel much smarter than I really am
Milk snakes were named milk snakes because they supposedly attached themselves to cow udders and drank the milk. 😂
One of your best videos, which is saying a lot!
My very first hike in Utah on Y Mountain I almost stepped on a rattlesnake and thought it was the coolest thing in the world. The other people on the hike did not enjoy it nearly as much as me 😂
Hey Clint, have you ever considered covering that one Criminal Minds episode in which the killer uses a venomous snake to kind of assassinate their victims? I actually really liked the show in general but that particular episode includes sooo many (in my opinion) harmful misconceptions about snakes and I would love to hear your thoughts on it
I love how you said that the snake statue used by Moses represents Christ's death and its benefit to mankind. Anyways, I love this whole video, very scientific, I'm definitely sharing it to a group educating people about snakes in the Philippines
Except that it represents no such thing. Moses is in the old testament, written centuries before Jesus was born by Jews who had no idea about him.
NOTHING about Moses symbolizes Christ, he was a Jewish prophet from Jewish scripture and had nothing to do with a man who was born half a millennium after that scripture was written. To claim otherwise is supercesionist and therefore antisemitic, though I'm sure Clint was simply unaware of this as most Americans sadly are.
There's no snake statue and it doesn't represent anything.
One other response I've heard to the "snakes/cottonmouths chase you" is that snakes look for an escape route, and sometimes that escape route might just happen to be on the other side of you. If there's a bolt hole on the other side of your legs, they might make a dash for that, not considering the idea that coming right towards you might be seen as an aggressive behavior.
I work at a reptile specific zoo, the snake myths I hear are pretty standard. However the amount of grown adults I’ve had ask me if turtles can walk out of their shells is truly shocking.
Snakes are very dangerous because once you hold one you fall in love with them and then cant get enough of them and before you know it you have a snake room... atm 17 snakes. Snakes are amazing and i adore them soo much! Boas are my favorite!
Love you video i also do alot of reptile education for the public and ive been asked all of these almost every event i do lol
One of the big myths here in Ohio that started about 30 years ago (or at least was the first time I'd heard it) was that the garter snakes were cross breeding with the copperheads.
😯🤣
People be dumb.
@@darcieclements4880 Yes they do.
Here in Washington we get Garden snakes and rattlers. Is that a thing? O.O
@@ResidentEvilShrill The general rule is that they must at least be in the same genus to breed. So if the garter is Thamnophis and the rattlesnake is Crotalus, then they are not breeding together.
It just takes one encounter is very correct- I wasn't at all interested in snakes until my middle school science teacher, who had a pet corn snake named hank that we were allowed to hold and pass around during note-taking sometimes. Hank was a friendly little sweetheart who charmed pretty much the entire class, and though I'm not a snake fanatic I've always had a fondness for them because of Hank. He sat so nicely on your arm while you took notes.
all my life I tell people that my parents are invertebrate biologists, and people are just going - "So, they´re into snakes?¨ wtf=))))))
I love your very endearing way of talking about those highly misunderstood animals. Your fascination for them is truly contagious. I mean I love snakes, but watching the closeups in your video just made my eyes go all bright, just thinking how amazingly cool and beautiful they are. ❤
I work at a reptile specific zoo, the snake myths I hear are pretty standard. However the amount of grown adults I’ve had ask me if turtles can walk out of their shells is truly shocking.
What 😃
These people did not get education past primary
Would be cool tho, but the ability to detatch from ones spine in general would be.
Not surprised. A disturbingly large percentage of Americans think angels are real, so the stupidity translate.
Speaking as someone who somehow managed to crick my neck last night while in bed and is still in pain, yes. Yes it would be.
Thanks for keeping it real, Clint! No better education than fun education. You're the best!