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Do snakes jump?

No one likes to come across a snake, especially if they are out in the wilderness somewhere or in the desert. There are several different kinds of poisonous snakes that can be found in these ecosystems, so coming across one may not only be scary but quite dangerous to your life.



What makes a snake even scarier is that they are quite agile and speedy in chasing after you. Despite not having any limbs, the snake can move about quite quickly and is able to pursue its prey, often overtaking it. If you are a person who is not incredibly quick, this can be the demise you surely do not want to occur. Adding to the fear that many have about these animals is their ability to “jump” at those that are approaching it. Snakes can be quite quick at leaping at their prey or at those that they see are a danger to them, allowing them to quickly strike with their razor sharp fangs. It is an amazing thing to see, but it begs the question do snakes really jump?

This is how it may appear at first, but the truth is that a snake cannot jump at all. What they can do is spring back into a very tight coil with their bodies. The muscles contract quite tightly to allow the snake to get into this formation. This is a great defense mechanism for them, because it makes it very difficult for predators to approach the snake without being close to its head and those razor sharp fangs.

If the snake feels that its defensive posture is not sufficient enough for it to be able to properly defend itself, then this is when it strikes! Those muscles that were used to contract and coil the animal into a very tight spiral release and different muscles allowed the snake to expand its body quickly. This pushes the snake upward and outward in an incredibly quick motion which is quite startling to most of its victims. No longer is the prey the victim here; the snake is now the combatant looking to inflict the damage. This quick coil-like stance that it can take allows it to launch forward much like you would see on a spring. Quickly the snake launches forward with its fangs out to attack its enemy.

All the while, the snake never leaves the ground. This is where the myth about this comes into play. Too many people believe that the snake is somehow able to launch itself off of the ground, jumping towards its enemy to strike. This is not the case at all. Instead, the snake only leaves the ground if its fangs get caught in the victim and the victim carries it away. Read more: Snake Control, Venomous Snakes of Florida, How to Identify Snakes, How to Kill Snakes.


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