Snakes can cause you to stop dead in your tracks. There’s a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to snakes that should be cleared up and A Five Star Termite & Pest Control are just the ones to do it!
Myths & Facts About Snakes
1. Will snakes chase you if you get too close? The word “chase” isn’t exactly the right term to use for what happens. Snakes are just as startled by you as you are of them when you catch them off-guard. We fear the snakes is venomous and the snake thinks its in danger. Just like we pick the fastest route so does the snake, that route may be directly toward you and you’ll believe its chasing you. There are some snakes that appear to chase intruders away by striking, hissing or rasping their bodies and can appear to be “chasing” you with this behavior.
2. Do rattlesnakes always rattle their tail before they strike? Rattlesnakes evolved to rattle their tail to announce their presence into a herd of herbivores. This prevented it from getting stepped on and saved the mammal from getting a nasty, if not crippling, bite. So, it should make sense that the tail that warns people and animals will strike. Rattlesnakes will detect approaching animals through vibrations and will rattle when an animal gets too close. Humans are more likely to surprise rattlesnakes and get bit. If the snake detects the intruder too late, the snake will strike to defend itself rather than rattle its tail.
3. Can some snakes sting with their tail? The copperhead snake is born tan and copper in color with the tip of its tail a vibrant yellow to green color. Many people think it’s the tail’s venomous “sting” but it’s meant to attract prey. These snakes will lay motionless and raise the tip of their tail and twitch it to look like a caterpillar or worm. When a hungry toad or frog comes by, the copperhead will strike.
4. Are there mother snakes and do they eat their babies? Snakes don’t eat their babies. Rather they have been observed to deposit their eggs and slither away to never see them again. They are born with the ability to survive making parental care unnecessary, but a snake species called the African rock python seems to “care” about its offspring. They will defend their eggs until they hatch and will monitor her offspring for more than four months after they hatch to protect them from prey.
5. Are snakes attracted to milk? Snakes drink water, not milk. They are reptiles and have no association with milk, although, when severely dehydrated a snake might drink any liquid that is available to them including milk.
6. Do snakes go blind in the heat of the summer? This myth is still believed by many but it just isn’t true. Snakes will not go blind just because it gets too hot outside. They can experience a loss of inhibitions of vision and shed their skin when the old ocular scales that protect their eyes separate from the new ones that form. Their eyes will look milky gray-blue and they will not be able to see as well. Many snakes in the southern United States may experience this “loss of vision” in late summer.
Snake & Wildlife Inspections, Control & Prevention in Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, New Braunfels, Selma, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Cibolo, Seguin, New Berlin, St Hedwig, Adkins, La Vernia, Elmendorf, Losoya, Von Ormy, Macdona & San Antonio, Texas
It can be scary to encounter snakes in or around your home. Contact the professionals at A Five Star Termite & Pest Control to safely take care of any wildlife pest problems including snakes.
