Can Dead Snakes Still Move?

[Texas Star]

Will some of you fellows who have shot at least several snakes tell me whether they can still twitch, squirm around, or otherwise move after being shot in the head, let alone beheaded, as by machete?

I know that the heads can still bite via muscle contractions, and maybe the brains live for awhile.

But it seems that blowing or cutting off the head should sever nerves required to make the body move.

I've heard all my life that dead snakes still squirm, and wonder how true it is, especially of venomous species.

Thanks,


T-Star

 

[Texas Star]

Will some of you fellows who have shot at least several snakes tell me whether they can still twitch, squirm around, or otherwise move after being shot in the head, let alone beheaded, as by machete?

I know that the heads can still bite via muscle contractions, and maybe the brains live for awhile.

But it seems that blowing or cutting off the head should sever nerves required to make the body move.

I've heard all my life that dead snakes still squirm, and wonder how true it is, especially of venomous species.

Thanks,


T-Star

 

[Faulkner]

I shot this rattler in the head and then beheaded it with a hoe. It wiggled around for over an hour afterwards, in fact it was still moving when I took this picture.

 

[M28]

I've wacked a couple of rattlers in my day if they were in a place where other folks might readily come in contact with them and they all squirmed subsequent to their demise.

Brian~

 

[m657]

I've seem 'em quiver & squiggle for an hour or more after decapitation.

 

[NFrameFred]

Their muscls can contract for hours after death, as the temperature changes.

 

[CJofWolfcreek]

It's un-nerving to have one coil around your arm when you start skinning it out. And yes that's after cutting its head off. As a young airman, one of our duties out at the Coolidge Auxilary field was to get the rattlers off the runway before the T-37's began their touch and go landings. So we ate alot of BBQ'd rattler. Curious sidenote, the bullsnake can mimick the sound of a rattler. Those we'd catch and release to help keep the prarie dogs down. We had one in the back of the pickup truck and heard a rattle. You never seen three grown men jump so high so fast. When we were in the bed of the truck is when we noticed the sound was coming from the bull snake.

 

[Frank237]

We had a really good Malamute many years ago bitten by a rattler that died within three minutes. It was not pretty.

One of the absolute best dogs We ever had.

Ever since...EVERY rattler I see....I kill. I'll put up with the extra mice and gophers. They don't hurt you. So the pro snake guys...save your typing.

And YES I've seen decapitated rattler squirm for hours after their demise.

FN in MT

 

[PALADIN85020]

Many years ago I shot a rather large rattler in the head with a shotgun while dove hunting. The thing squirmed for hours. A bit unnerving.
Yep, they do that.

 

[Texas Star]

I've seen frog legs jump in a frying pan unless you sever the tendons, too. Kinda eerie...

Faulkner, is that a timber rattler?


T-Star

 

[BarbC]

I once shot a sick chicken and when I threw the body into the woods, the wings flapped.

 

[Texas Star]

Originally posted by BarbC:
I once shot a sick chicken and when I threw the body into the woods, the wings flapped.

Barb-

Birds are descended from reptiles. That may be why stuff like that happens.

When I was a small boy, we lived in a rural area, and my mother wrung the neck of a chicken. She did it poorly, I suspect, and that bird ran around for some time before realizing that it was dead. I was rather shocked.

On the other hand, I've used a hunting knife to finish off wounded doves, and they expired quickly. Tasted good, too, if not overcooked.

T-Star

 

[Faulkner]

Originally posted by Texas Star:
I've seen frog legs jump in a frying pan unless you sever the tendons, too. Kinda eerie...

Faulkner, is that a timber rattler?


T-Star

Believe so. I shot it in Van Buren County in the southern Ozarks. This one is large for around here.

 

[john traveler]

Not only can a decapitated rattler still wriggle, I've seen them skinned, cut into chunks, dragged through flour, salt, and pepper and pan fried and they STILL wriggled and moved!

 

[bob1981]

When I was a small boy, we lived in a rural area, and my mother wrung the neck of a chicken. She did it poorly, I suspect, and that bird ran around for some time before realizing that it was dead. I was rather shocked.

I've seen this afew times with roosters that had there necks rung for dinner.

 

[cass]

A few years ago I was preparing several large diamondbacks for rattlesnake steaks. I removed the heads and tails, stripped the skin and all the intrals and put them in a bucket of water to soak until I could cut them in sections. My daughter had to stand by the bucket and push the naked snakes back from trying to climb out. Also, the snake shown by Faulkner is a Canebreak rattlesnake, a sub-species of the Timber.

 

[gunsmith11]

I have walked many a mile in eastern oregon, in the high dessert and in the forest regions, over 23 years here in central texas walking in all kinds of terrain,,still have never seen a rattler,,,but I think I will start carrying the M60 with birdshot

 

[pberry]

Several years ago I walked up on a 4 1/2' rattler about 30 ft out my back door. I got my bush ax and carefully took off his head. I picked him up and moved him to the drive way to show the wife and daughter. They were not impressed. After about 10 or 15 minutes the wife asked me to move him out of sight. I reached down and grabbed his tail (which about 8 rattles on it). As soon as I grabbed him, he pulled back and struck the back of my hand before I could react. I had a bluddy oval spot on the center of the back of my hand that measured about 2 x 3 inches. Luckly it was his blood, not my blood. That was a hart stopper. If he would have had his head, I probably wouldn't be telling this story. They are very fast even with out there head.
Phil

 

[Double-O-Dave]

As you can see from all of the responses that "yes" is the answer to your question. That is the reason why many will tell you that once you cut the head off of the snake, you should either bury it, or burn it so that it won't pose a threat to you or others - including animals, like a curious dog.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Capt Steve]

"I have walked many a mile in eastern oregon, in the high dessert and in the forest regions, over 23 years here in central texas walking in all kinds of terrain,,still have never seen a rattler,,,"

I hear similar comments from the local golfers all the time. "Been here ten years, play 4 times a week and never have seen a rattle snake". Spotting one is easier the second time as your eye will be more likely to pick up their movement, coloration etc.. Their natural camouflage is off the charts effective. Take your eye off of one for even a couple of seconds and they will disappear before your eyes....only they haven't moved an inch. Spring has sprung here in the high Sonoran desert and the damn things are everywhere. I see several every shift at the golf course and end up moving a couple.

This time of year if you see one, chances are very good there is another nearby. They have been denned up all winter and are out looking for a meal and a mate, not necessarily in that order. It is the one you don't see that will likely strike you. To get bit by one you see you have to be an idiot. The basic rule is to never put your hands or feet where you cannot see. Be careful out there.