How many times have you almost got bitten by a snake?

[ZiaCowel2000]

On 5 separated times I almost stepped on a rattle snake when I used to walk/run. 1 other snake as a child. (I don’t think it was a dangerous one) Then one time at a creek a water moccasin went past my foot and me and my family bolted out the water.

Updates

4 mo

I’m half blind and half the time I wasn’t wearing 👓 during these moments. I’ve only had 2 try to strike me. I was on the road, (snakes were either on the road or ditch) I couldn’t really hear the rattle till I jumped away. I know if you don’t mess with them they won’t bother you. But when you can’t see them, you can get bitten. I don’t really like snakes but I think their cool. (I’ve held a white hog nose snake with red eyes and it was cute and it’s scales were soft like ivory soap.)

[Lliam]

We have rattle snakes in our area. The species is not large and not aggressive. I know they are around but they never bother us. Although, on two different occasions, I've been warned with a rattle. I think that's considerate.

Whenever we run across one snoozing in our garden, I catch it. I have a snake catching stick with jaws on one end and a trigger handle that you grip. I just drop it into a box and release it away from the house.
I like rattlesnakes because they do good work keeping the rodent population under control. They are not bad guys. The last thing they want to do is bite something that they aren't going to eat. And they will retreat if given half a chance.

I love non-venomous snakes and have caught several gopher snakes to bring back to our yard. I've caught other snakes like California kingsnakes, racers, and garter snakes in our yard just to admire them before releasing them.

The only snake that ever scared me was one time when I stepped off of my porch and heard a loud hiss right behind me. I jumped 10 feet. When I turned to look, I saw an adolescent gopher snaked coiled against the bottom of the step in striking pose.
It was inflating its entire body and releasing the air in long hisses. I had pet snakes as a kid and I had caught quite a few wild snakes, but had never heard one hiss except in movies.
I wondered what the snake's problem was until I saw one of my cats nearby and realized that the cat had been attacking the poor snake.
So I approached the snake, crouched down, and reached out to pick it it. The little brat struck at me. It was in a state of absolute terror.
I reached out a couple more times and it continued to hiss and strike.
Finally, I crooked my index finger and held it out. It grabbed hold and held on. It didn't hurt and certainly didn't break the skin. Alligator lizards can pinch harder than gopher snakes.
So, once it was occupied, I reached with my other hand and picked it up. It finally released me and coiled around my arm. I took it to a safe place in the garden away from the cat and released it.
Out of all the times I have handled snakes, that's the first time one ever bit me. Snakes are usually docile but this one was freaked out.

I will say that I'm glad we don't have other kinds of venomous snakes around here that don't have the courtesy to rattle when frightened.

[Lliam]

Thanks for the MHO, Zia.

[NamerOfStars]

None- but for this specific scenario, I'd like to give a shout-out to rattlesnakes. People talk about the ominous rattle they make when they're about to strike, but the reason they make that rattle is so that they DON'T HAVE TO STRIKE. It's their way of saying "Hey, you're close to me and scaring me; please leave so I don't have to bite you". Camouflage and stillness mean it's easy to come upon a snake unawares and spook them; that rattle gives you a chance to go unharmed, and the snake a chance to save its biologically expensive venom. It's win-win!

Snakes are also deaf; they can't hear, so it's using a method it doesn't itself understand. I think this is a great idea, demonstrating real thoughtfulness on the the part of the snakes, and that this kind of thing should be encouraged. Rattlesnakes are one of the newest snake types, and I'd have the experiment be successful.

Also, since snakes are deaf, this means that whenever they do the remake of Harry Potter (it's inevitable, since Hollywood is out of ideas), parseltongue should not be spoken, but danced.

[strateguy632]

snakes can't hear sounds but magic language different snake hear.

[NamerOfStars]

@strateguy632 Even if that were true, it wouldn't let them speak it, unless they themselves were magical.

[wolfcat87]

I don't know that them going past counts as almost being bitten. Snakes don't like to bite unless you're actively going after them or hurting them. Stepping on them is asking for a bite for sure.

I grew up swimming in water with and playing around water moccasins, and you have to actually hurt them for them to bite you. Now, I live in a yard where we see rattle snakes all the time. I just catch them and release them further in the back yard.

Both hubbies have tried to get themselves bitten though. One stepped on the head of a rattler in the garage. The other was carrying a box to the garage and not paying attention to where he was walking. Our great dane got in front of him and blocked him from walking until he looked. There was a rattler right in front of him that he missed. Good girl. All of our animals have been smart enough to leave them alone.

The kids and I pay attention to the 3 foot rule, always know what's within 3 feet of you when outside.

Here's a pic of the one next to my raised garden beds last year. Caught and released in the back yard.

[Lliam]

I love your attitude. I catch rattle snakes when I find them in our yard and release them further away, too. They don't want to bother anybody.

[PBandJ_Nerd]

Thankfully zero times for me. And I've never been in contact with a snake before.

[RavVid]

Only came close once when about to jump off a fence and saw a copper heads tail.

Some snakes are aggressive in mating season. Our tiger snakes have a reputation for that but yes most likely the closest you'll come to one is seeing grass moving side to side.

In Fiji I didn't go into the sea after discovering it was chock full of sea snakes. Besides the resort had a perfectly good swim up bar and I had an all you can drink ticket.

I am never going to be OK with snakes even non-venomous ones. There are various ways of rating snakes i. e. toxicity of venom, aggressiveness, ability to deliver the venom and the amount in one bite, inclination to go inside houses etc but usually Australia has 5-6 of the world top ten on any rating scale.

Except deaths as we have had to get good at anti-venom.

[EnglishArtsteacher]

It's interesting you asked this: Once, and it was just two months ago.

After my clothes were finished washing in my washing machine, I reached in my clothes, and for some reason, there was a small Garter Snake in there, and it almost bit my finger. I had to remove it by its tail.

Luckily, Garter Snakes are pretty much harmless.

[DryGermanGuy]

Never seen one outside of the zoo. Here you rather run into a wild boar, wolf or lately even bear. 🙄

[ChicoFromThe305]

I think I have a higher chance of an iguana falling on me but I did see a snake once wrapped under a tree, I wouldn't say I was close to getting bitten tho

[Wallythewalrus2]

I’ve been bit several times when I was a kid, nothing venomous though. Mostly water and garden snakes.

[purplepoppy]

Snake bites are rare in the UK. Snakes will generally hide when they sense you coming so unless you catch one you're not going to be bitten. It's usually dogs playing in sand dunes that get bitten.

[petitedollbabee]

Never. Snakes aren’t really a thing in my country. I’ve only interacted with snakes in other countries, usually in zoos where they’re domesticated or behind glass.

[Levin]

Not many snakes in England. Fair play to you, you seem tough though.

[The-Stud]

A few times, but thankfully safety boots prevented the bites from coming in contact with my body

[RedInnocent68]

Been around lots of snakes, mostly harmless garters, and never bitten.

[Anonymous]

only once. I almost stepped on a rattlesnake while hiking, but my friend shot it...6 or 7 times right by my foot, so I guess I almost got shot as well. :o

[Pterodon]

I own a bullsnake and have been bitten several times.

[Jmmmfi4]

I ISED TO CATCH THEM AS A KID AND HAD ONE AS A PET SO MANY TIMES

[lilBigPotato]

Nope, we don't have snakes here

[strateguy632]

i never saw any in the city new york

[WhitneySnow]

Only once when I was a kid

[exitseven]

probably never.

[Luméa]

I've never experienced anything like this before

[collie22]

Yeah ! A rattlesnake one time hiking.

[Wise4myage]

Never, and I have seen my fair share of snakes.