NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/708333
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2016 • NEBRASKAland 77 S nakes bite. At least that's what everyone believes. And for the most part everyone is right. Because think about it: if you were limbless, how would you defend yourself? You'd bite, right? It's all you have – a mouth and teeth. So when push comes to shove and the snake you just backed into a corner runs out of options, it's going to bite. Any animal would. But this is not a snake's first choice. By losing their limbs snakes have evolved many ways to deal with provocation. In general, a snake employs any one or a combination of three behaviors: warn, defend and escape. Escape is the ultimate goal, and if it can be accomplished without difficulty the other two will be avoided. But if not, snakes have interesting tools to dissuade would-be harassers. The ultimate warning is the rattlesnake's rattle. Everyone knows it, and its message is quite clear: don't tread on me. But did you know that nearly all agitated snakes rattle their tails as a warning? Rattlesnakes are better at it because they actually have a "rattle," but the behavior of rattling the tail is very common. Odd, since snakes cannot hear airborne sounds. Other snakes make warning sounds using different tools. In Africa the saw-scaled viper rubs its scales together to make a loud rasping sound. Closer to home, the bullsnake is one of the loudest. Like all snakes it has a tube in its mouth – the glottis – that helps it breathe while eating. But bullsnakes have a membrane that splits their glottis, so when air passes through it a loud hissing sound emerges. For this to work the snake's mouth has to be open, which is another common defense display. The open mouth and loud hiss are a quite effective warning system. Some snakes try to make themselves look bigger. Cobras are masters at this, spreading their neck ribs to form a hood. Our native hog-nosed snakes have similar abilities. In fact one of the local names for them is the "spreading adder." Snakes like coral snakes use bright colors to warn predators that they're dangerous. Harmless snakes like milk snakes mimic coral snakes, gaining protection by having similar colors. The ring-necked snake here in Nebraska is a drab grayish-green color, yet when attacked it will coil its vibrant red tail and display it, warning predators that they probably don't want to eat it. Warnings like this are used to prevent attackers from actually apprehending snakes. But when they fail, snakes resort to defending themselves. While biting is a defense behavior there are others. When seized, nearly all snakes tend to discharge their cloacal contents. What does that even mean? It means they defecate all over their assailant – also called musking (yes, like a skunk). Nothing is going to want to eat them after that. But the hog-nosed snake takes it to a different level. Not only does it defecate (supported by a cloacal "pop" that is reminiscent of flatulence), but it flips itself onto its back, hangs its tongue out of its mouth, and feigns death. Some snakes skip the warning and defense steps and go straight to escape but may still be caught by the tail as they slither away. Snakes cannot lose and grow back tails like lizards, but they can quickly turn and twist their bodies until their tail breaks off. It never grows back, and the snake has a stub tail, but it keeps its life. Lots of things want to eat snakes, and these behaviors evolved so snakes could escape scenarios where they might become meals. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. So in the end the best action is to simply leave – as quickly as possible. As you encounter snakes during your outdoor activities, watch whatever show they put on but then watch them safely slide away. ■ The Best Defense? Snakes do more than bite. By Dan Fogell PHOTOS BY DAN FOGELL A bullsnake opens its mouth and hisses as a warning. Water snakes like this diamond-backed water snake can flatten their necks to appear larger. This eastern hog-nosed snake is playing dead to avoid being eaten.