Do Snakes Actually Chase People?
Just because you run from something does not mean it is chasing you.
It is not uncommon for people to swear up, down, and sideways that they have been chased by a snake. Some particularly imaginative people have even made claims that a snake chased them down the street while they were riding a bicycle, chased them back to their car and then leaped at the windows, or chased them from their yard into the house and then struck at the door trying to get in. If you think these tales sound ludicrous, it is because they are.
When naturalists say that snakes do not chase people, we are not saying that no snake has ever come towards a human. We are saying that they do not see humans as prey and are not trying to “catch” us. Simply approaching a person or moving in their direction is not the same thing as “chasing.”
It is easy to understand how your average person who doesn’t know the difference between venomous and harmless snakes would be nervous or fearful if they happen upon a snake. They may experience an adrenaline rush, causing their mind to enter a “fight or flight” mode. In this situation, almost any motion the snake makes is likely to be misinterpreted as aggression. Of course, this is not what is happening, as snakes are not aggressive, but it is at least understandable. We needn’t judge these people too harshly, provided their lack of knowledge doesn’t lead them to start wantonly killing these beneficial animals.
To reduce fear and increase safety during these encounters, I encourage everyone to join a snake identification group and become familiar with the snakes in their area. We have a great one here- LIVE Snake Identification and Discussion. You can also download my book about reptiles here- A Primer on Reptiles & Amphibians (it’s kind of a big deal, check it out!).
If you like hard facts, here’s an article examining scientific accounts of cottonmouths, which are often accused of chasing people- The Maligned Cottonmouth. Another common occurrence in the US is ratsnakes climbing on people’s houses (view lots of examples at Ratsnakes in Predicaments). I have an explanation of this behavior here- The Snake on Your House Isn’t Trying to Hurt You.
Maybe you believe a snake chased you at some point in your life. Maybe your daddy or grandma swears they were chased, and you don’t want to call them a liar. Whatever the reason that brought you here, I would like to offer a different perspective on these encounters. I can assure you that, from the snake’s perspective, something else was going on.
Here are some common reasons people claim that a snake was being aggressive, coupled with interpretations of the encounters from someone intimately familiar with snakes. To understand animal behavior, you have to try to see through the creature’s eyes instead of your own. This is not easy for most people, but I will try to help.
Scenario One:
A fisherman walking along a bank stumbles across a snake. Usually, this is a harmless watersnake, but people often immediately assume it is venomous. The snake darts toward the person from a few feet away and the person thinks they are being chased.
The same scenario as seen from the snake’s eyes:
A large potential predator (the human) is approaching. The snake waits where it is, hoping to go unnoticed. As the predator gets closer and closer, it seems more and more like the snake is going to be discovered, so finally, it decides to risk being seen and flee. It makes a straight line for the safety of the water, even though the predator is in the way at this point, hoping that it will be fast enough to get into the water before being eaten.
The take-away:
Several species of snakes live near water and blend in well with their surroundings. Most snakes are perfectly harmless, but whether they are or not, they have no interest in you. If they dart out at you, they are not trying to startle you; they’re only trying to get to safety as quickly as possible. The fact that you might be in their path is coincidental. You don’t need to run or defend yourself, you can simply let them pass on by without incident. Note: This same type of situation also occurs in other settings. People in their yard or in a park see a snake darting in their general direction and their emotions make 2+2 equal 5. In reality, the snake is simply fleeing for the nearest cover and not aiming for the person.
Scenario Two:
A fisherman is floating down a creek in a canoe. Suddenly, a snake drops from a branch into the boat and flails about. The snake comes toward the person and the person thinks it dropped into the boat with the goal of attacking them.
The same scenario as seen from the snake’s eyes:
Similar to scenario one, the snake assumed that it could just keep basking on the branch, but as this large strange object (the boat) finally got so close that danger seemed imminent, it decides to drop into the water. It is surprised to find itself landing on a hard object that is difficult to get out of. Even worse, it finds itself trapped with a large potential predator that is making noise and moving about. It tries to climb up the sides and out but can’t find purchase on the hull. Frantic and used to climbing bushes and shrubs, it tries to use the only object it can find to climb up, which happens to be the person.
The take-away:
Snakes sometimes climb out onto overhanging branches. This is partially to bask and warm up and partially for safety, as it is easy to simply drop into the water if danger appears. Boats are not the easiest thing for a snake to understand, so they may not know to flee until the boat is underneath them. The snake is trying to escape. You do not need to attack it or defend yourself. You can simply offer it something (like a paddle, knapsack, or fishing rod) to use to climb out and get away.
Scenario Three:
Several hikers at a state park have reported to park naturalists that snakes have been chasing them along a certain frequently-used public trail. At first, park staff thinks this is a fluke, but after hearing several reports from the same trail, they decide to investigate. After hiking the trail themselves and observing other hikers, they do indeed see North American Racers darting out onto the trail as people pass by. They don’t seem to be fleeing from the people but neither are they actually engaging with the people. At first, this is a bit puzzling.
The same scenario upon further investigation:
Racers are fast snakes that rely on speed to chase down prey. They eat lizards, other snakes, frogs, small vertebrates… basically any small critter that they can subdue. However, finding and catching prey is not always easy. These snakes are not stupid and quickly notice opportunities to exploit.
Trails often make for good basking spots for reptiles, so the racers hang out there to warm up, moving into the underbrush when someone approaches. However, lizards also hang out on the trails and rocks to bask and dart away when someone approaches. Racers have very good eyesight and notice that these lizards give away their position with these movements. They quickly learn that the trail with all the lizards means easy meals when people are around.
The take-away:
This is an example of a situation that was very easily misinterpreted. The hikers had good reason to think they were being chased. However, a minimal amount of investigation easily revealed that something else was happening (which is always the case).
The snakes, who are completely uninterested in the people themselves, are willing to be seen (counting on their ability to flee quickly if a human were to try to grab them) in order to take advantage of this opportunity. The hikers, being startled, might run when this happens, but they could have just as easily stayed where they were without the slightest incident.
More Examples:
Snakes have been observed to “chase” people mowing their lawn. A moment’s observation revealed that they were taking advantage of prey that was being stirred up by the noise and vibration of the mower. Mockingbirds and other animals have been observed to do the same thing, but people do not get emotional and fearful about birds the way they do snakes. They understand a bird behaving like this but freak out if a snake exhibits the same behavior.
Fishermen on piers have often reported that “cottonmouths attacked them” while they were fishing. These snakes, which are almost always harmless watersnakes, have discovered that fishermen often mean food in the form of discarded carcasses, leftover baitfish, fish on stringers, even fish being reeled in on a line. All of these are tempting offerings, and it is not surprising that an astute, hungry snake might investigate an area with these opportunities. Not surprisingly, many fishermen and fisherwomen immediately panic at the sight of an approaching snake and run away or chase the snake away. They share the story with their friends and eventually run into someone else with a similar story, and thus we end up with a myth that people firmly believe.
Sometimes, the situation may be as simple as the snake panicking. Just as you might be surprised by a snake, you may be just as much of a surprise to the snake, particularly if it was focused on something else as you approached. Usually, a snake will dart away from a threat, but sometimes panic makes anyone (human or snakes) make unwise decisions. Once in a while, a snake may dart towards a person simply because that was the direction they were pointed when they went into flight mode.
People that enjoy going out and observing reptiles (and who move calmly and slowly in the wilderness, so as not to scare everything away as most people do with their modern habit of tromping everywhere) have occasionally reported snakes approaching them with seeming purpose. Snakes can be somewhat naturally curious, and when something new and non-threatening appears in their environment, they may want to investigate.
Sometimes, if the hiker stayed still and calm, snakes have come and investigated them. Each time this happened, the snake simply smelled them with their tongue and sometimes crawled right around and over their feet. After a moment, though, they seem to decide that this new thing in their environment is not all that interesting after all and go back about their snakey business.
Another one we hear about are snakes approaching someone on a kayak or inner tube. The people are immediately convinced that the snake is attacking them, but of course, the snake is simply looking for a spot to rest. If you have ever been swimming and gotten tired while away from the shore, you can easily understand the desire to grab onto the nearest thing you can. Granted, many snakes can float a little easier than people can, but they still like to rest. The wildlife enthusiasts that don’t panic and chase the snake off have invariably reported that the snake investigated them, realized that the “raft” they had discovered was already occupied and went on their way without incident.
As you can see, there are many reasons why a snake might move in your direction. Honestly, I could keep making a list longer than you would want to read. All I can hope to do is impart that snakes are not mindless, aggressive, man-eaters lying in wait for you to stumble into attack range. If I can inspire you to at least try to see the world through another set of eyes, I’m sure you will see the truth for yourself. It may take some practice, but it’s really not all that difficult once you give it a try.
Again, I can understand how someone who doesn’t understand reptiles can view a snake encounter through adrenaline-tainted lenses, but that doesn’t make that perception correct. Snakes are only concerned with “snakey” things like safety, security, finding a meal, regulating their temperature, seeking shelter, finding a mate, and so on. Nothing in the natural world is sinister, we project such motives from our own biases (the fancy word for this is anthropomorphism).
If you pay attention, you will invariably find that the people loudly insisting that “snakes chase people” are the same people who can’t tell a cottonmouth from a watersnake. People who understand snakes will tell you the same thing I am telling you. In the end, though, even if I can’t get you to like snakes, I hope at least to instill in you that they are a part of the ecosystem and deserve the same respect you would give to any other living creature.
The needless killing of any wildlife is detrimental, not only to the world that sustains us, but it also kills a little bit of what is good in each of us. Caring for the unloved creatures of the world is one of the best ideals we can kindle in ourselves, and I hope I fan in you a flame of concern for our natural heritage (including snakes!).
I leave you with a cheeky take on the subject from Orry Martin, the Texas Snake Hunter.
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You can also follow our wildlife center on Facebook, join our Snake Identification Group, or download the book that this article came from, A Primer on Reptiles & Amphibians: A Collection of Educational Nature Bulletins, from our website.
