Copperheads smell like cucumbers, don't they? Ten myths about snakes explained

World Snake Day is July 16, but at The Clarion-Ledger, we're having Snake Week. After all, sharks have their own week, so why not snakes? From July 15-19, The Clarion-Ledger will publish a snake-related story online each day. Some will be new and some will be reader favorites from our archives.

Folklore about animals is likely as old as mankind. After all, animals are very important parts of people's lives. However, some are often feared and misunderstood and that can lead to some wild tales.

Snakes certainly fall into that category and some of the myths about them are beyond rational thought.

So, the Clarion-Ledger turned to Terry Vandeventer of Terry. He's a herpetologist who has spent a decades-long career working with snakes in the field and in educational programs and he explained some of the popular myths about snakes along with some that seem almost comical.

The stinging snake

A snake that can kill with a sting from its tail? It may seem like a tale so tall that it borders on ridiculous, but how such an idea came about isn't too hard to understand.

"The stinging snake is, of course, the mudsnake — large and black with a red belly," Vandeventer said. "People say it has a deadly stinger on its tail."

Vandeventer said the snake has a pointed, hard scale on its tail that is used to manipulate food when it's feeding. The snake will also use it defensively and may poke a person or other animal it feels is a threat. However, dying from a poke is pretty much out of the question unless, of course, it gives you a heart attack.

"There's no venom and there's no sting," Vandeventer said. "It's a pin-prick sensation."

The hoop snake

This bizarre myth also centers around the mudsnake. Legend has it that the snake holds its tail in its mouth and forms a hoop so it can roll. Whether the snake rolls toward a person or away isn't really clear and neither is the origin of such an idea.

"It's physically impossible," Vandeventer said. "Physics doesn't allow this to happen."

In the event that physics and Vandeventer are both wrong and you find a red and black snake wheel headed in your direction, Vandeventer jokingly suggested running up the nearest hill to safety.

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Baby venomous snakes are more deadly than adults

Vandeventer said this is a more recent myth that states juvenile venomous snakes will pump every drop of venom into whatever they bite because they haven't learned to control the amount of venom they deliver. It sounds plausible, but Vandeventer said it isn't true.

"Absolutely not," Vandeventer said. "Babies and adult snakes all have control of the amount of venom they inject or don't inject. It's completely false."

Copperheads smell like cucumbers

This has been circulating on social media in recent years, generally as a public service announcement. It seems well-intentioned, but if you've had encounters with copperheads, you already know it's not true.

"They always say copperheads smell like cucumbers," Vandeventer said. "If you smell cucumbers in the woods, run for your life."

In reality, the only time snakes have a strong smell is when they emit musk. It's a foul-smelling liquid discharged when copperheads and other snakes feel threatened and smells nothing like cool and refreshing cucumbers.

"It's real sour and pungent," Vandeventer said. "It's meant to smell bad so you go away."

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Kingsnakes are good snakes

This is absolutely true, but it's very misleading. Many people feel kingsnakes are good snakes because they eat other snakes, including venomous snakes. However, a lot of other snakes are snake-eaters. Racers, coachwhips, cottonmouths, copperheads, indigo snakes and many others eat snakes, too.

"The kingsnake gets the credit because he's easily identified and he has the word "king" in his name," Vandeventer said.

Cottonmouths chase people

This is a myth that is widespread and Vandeventer said in his years of making snake presentations, people have become angry when he told them it isn't true. Vandeventer said if a snake is coming toward you, you're simply in the path of where it wants to go.

"Snakes don't chase people," Vandeventer said. "People misinterpret the behavior of the snake.

"A snake crawling in your direction does not constitute a chase. It's that simple. The last thing they want to do is chase something big and scary like you."

Coral snakes chew on people

"Coral snake bites are exceeding rare, but the myth is they don't have fangs," Vandeventer said.

There is another misconception about their fangs.

"Some people say they are in the back of the mouth," Vandeventer said.

Because of that, and the snakes' smaller size, Vandeventer said some people believe coral snakes can only bite small, thin folds of skin like found between a person's thumb and index finger and must chew to get their venom in a person.

Vandeventer said that isn't true and coral snakes can open their mouths almost 180 degrees and deliver a bite basically like any other venomous snake.

The nest of cottonmouths

The storyline here is a waterskier falls and finds himself is a nest or ball of cottonmouths. He's repeatedly bitten and realizing the end is near, he tells the folks in the boat to save themselves and not come to his rescue.

Vandeventer said he's heard of this event in several states including some where cottonmouths don't occur.

"This is a not-so-new urban legend," Vandeventer. "It's been around since I was a kid."

Vandeventer said the false idea of this pile of cottonmouths was reinforced by the movie Lonesome Dove in a scene where an Irish immigrant dies after a similar event while crossing a river.

"Everybody remembers that scene," Vandeventer said. "It's all made-up stuff."

Coachwhips will whip you

This is another one that brings up a cartoonish vision; a coachwhip snake chasing a person and when it catches the poor soul, it begins to beat the victim with its tail.

Well, they are named coachwhips, but not because they'll give you 40 lashes. It's because the snakes are darker toward the head and get lighter toward the thinner tail.

"The name is an interpretation of the coloration of the snake," Vandeventer said. "They look just like a bull whip."

Snakes stay in pairs

This one is short and sweet. It's the belief that snakes have a crawling buddy. Sure, snakes can be found near each other from time to time, but it's not because they enjoy each others' company — with one exception.

"Snakes don't travel in pairs," Vandeventer said. "The only time snakes are together is during mating season."

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Here are 10 myths about snakes and why they're not true