Snakes on My Brain

“Every great story seems to begin with a snake.” Nicolas Cage

My grandmother once told me a story about Jake the Snake. Jake was a rat snake that her father would allow to enter their house at a certain time everyday, just to make the rounds and look for mice or rats. And that is the time, of course, that my grandmother and her sister and her mother would all exit the house. It’s been many years since my grandmother told that story, so I don’t know for sure if I got it exactly right. It had also been many years between the time that Jake was making his visits and the time that I first heard about him, so I don’t know for sure if my grandmother got it exactly right. It seems, however, that no matter how sketchy the details, my great-grandfather recognized the value of Jake the Snake. I know that not everyone can say they appreciate a snake of any sort. The only good snake is a dead snake, right?

Well, no. Snakes do play an important role in the ecosystem, like helping to keep the rat and mice populations in check (as my great-grandfather knew so well). They are also preyed upon by other animals, so they are vital links in various food chains. But I’m not necessarily expecting to change your mind if you think the only good snake is a dead one. I’m pretty sure that’s how I once felt about them. I know lots of folks who feel about snakes like the narrator in Green Eggs and Ham felt about green eggs and ham. “I would not like them here or there. I would not like them anywhere.”

Would you like a snake sliding through the yard?
Oh, no! That would make my heart pound hard!
I would not like one here or there.
I would not like one anywhere.

Would you like a snake way up in a tree?
No, would you please just let me be?!!

Would you like a snake in the leaves of fall?
No, no, no! The thought makes my skin crawl!

Would you like a snake in a pond or river?
Stop it, please! That makes me shiver!

Perhaps you'd like a snake in a square!
Well, that does sound rare, but I would not like it.
I would not dare!

Would you like a snake in a flower bed?
Goodness, no! That thought fills me with dread!

How about a snake on a log in the sun?
Nope! I really hope you're just about done!

Just one more before I put this on hold!
Would you like a snake with speckles of gold?
You know the answer! You've already been told!

I would not like a snake on the ground or a limb.
Not one that's gold or one that can swim.
Not one in a bed or the sun or a square.
I would not like one here or there.
I would not like one anywhere.

I said I didn’t really expect to change your mind about snakes – but I didn’t say I wouldn’t try! What exactly is it about snakes that causes us to shudder with fright or disgust? Does the hatred date back to the crafty serpent in the Garden of Eden? Does it stem from a snake’s slithery means of movement without legs? I mean, how do snakes move so quickly or swim so well without limbs??? It’s just not right! (On a side note, I’m not a fan of spiders and they have eight legs. So I guess I’m of the opinion that 2-6 is the appropriate leg number range to avoid creepiness. Feel free to disagree.) Does the fear of snakes come from the fact that some are venomous? In actuality, only around 15% of the 3000+ snake species in the world are venomous. Maybe our distaste is a combination of all of the reasons mentioned, or maybe it comes from something else entirely. Whatever the reason, the dislike is real, it’s widespread, and it’s sometimes very intense!

The saying goes “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but you can, in reality, judge a snake by its skin. That might be best left to the experts, because I’ve found so many exceptions to those so-called rules for distinguishing venomous from nonvenomous snakes. In the United States, since most of our venomous snakes are pit vipers (the exception being the coral snake), the “rules” say to look for the pit organs or look at the shape of the pupils in the eyes, but the pupil shape changes with the amount of light and WHO WANTS TO GET THAT CLOSE ANYWAY????? You could look for the typically triangular head shape of a pit viper, but then there are those nonvenomous snakes that flatten their heads to mimic the pit vipers. Thanks a lot!!! In other parts of the world, there are many types of venomous snakes that aren’t pit vipers, so if traveling to Australia, for example, just forget about relying on the head shape and pupil shape and pit organs for distinguishing dangerous from harmless.

Does even just the shed skin of a snake still give you the heebie-jeebies? Because you know that means there was a snake around sometime, and it might have been one of those venomous ones! Well, you can still judge the snake by its skin, literally. If the skin of the head is intact and you can see holes left by the pit organs, then you can predict the skin was left by a venomous snake. If the skin of the tail is in good shape, look at the scales on the underside of the tail. (Click here for diagram.) A single row of scales indicates a venomous snake, and a double row indicates a nonvenomous snake. You can use this characteristic with the actual snake also, but…………..you know. And once again, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THESE GUIDELINES!

For what it’s worth, you can see the round pupils of this nonvenomous snake.

You probably have no desire to become a snake expert, but it’s still a great idea to spend some time getting to know the snakes, both venomous and nonvenomous, in your area. You can’t judge a snake by its skin unless you get to know it! Learn the color patterns and markings of the snakes around you; become familiar with their behaviors and characteristics; understand their roles in the environment. You might never like snakes, but you might feel better about co-existing with them (maybe – I’m still working on that with spiders). Knowledge really is a powerful thing!

If you want to live where there are no snakes at all, move to Alaska, New Zealand, Antarctica or a few other locations.

It might not be a huge deal to you to judge a snake unfairly (and I get that), but what about a person? Have you ever assumed certain things about a person just because of his/her physical appearance – hair style or color, piercings or tattoos, cleanliness, clothing style, skin color or race, etc.? Or maybe you didn’t like the way someone talked, or walked, or any number of other things? When I first started teaching school, I quickly learned that I had to throw all of my assumptions and first impressions out the window (didn’t mean I was always successful). Abraham Lincoln is attributed with saying “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” How great is that statement?!!! How do you follow Jesus’ command to love your neighbor like yourself (Matthew 22:39) if you avoid him because of a bad first impression or because he looks a certain way, and you think everyone who looks that way behaves and thinks the same?

Right after this command is recorded in Luke 10, Jesus was asked, “And who is my neighbor?” I’m sure you recognize Christ’s answer as what we label the parable of the good Samaritan. (If you aren’t familiar with this, click to read the account from Luke 10:25-37.) Jesus tells of a man, presumably Jewish, who “fell among robbers” as he was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. This poor man was then left to die by a priest and then a Levite, two fellow Jews, only to be rescued by a Samaritan. The Jewish lawyer who posed this question to Jesus was certainly not expecting to hear a story of a Samaritan being neighborly in any form or fashion to a Jew. When Jesus then asked him which of the three proved to be a neighbor to the injured man, it seems as though he couldn’t even bring himself to say “the Samaritan” but answered instead, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Australia is home to some of the most deadly snakes! This is not one of them – just a harmless rat snake in Arkansas.

I’ve never left someone to die by the side of the road, and I’m sure you haven’t either. But I’m certain there have been times that I didn’t treat others as kindly or as neighborly as I should have because of some preconceived belief about them. What about you? Christ said in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” (You really should read the whole context surrounding this verse.) While this may be one of the most misapplied verses in the Bible, I do believe it teaches us to avoid the harsh, hasty and unfair criticisms of others. We aren’t to judge a person’s motives for his words or actions or conclude that a person must behave a certain way because of his appearance. (I don’t believe, however, that this verse implies we are to tolerate sinful actions, but I’ll save that for another day.)

Like the good Samaritan, be the one who shows mercy. Be the one who isn’t quick to judge someone’s motives and isn’t actively searching for another’s faults. “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” (Luke 6:31). Be the one who bears another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:9-21)

If we strive to live as the previous verses instruct us, we’ll be much less likely to make harsh and unfair judgments of others. We’ll be getting to know our neighbors and understanding that our neighbors aren’t just those who live next door. I might not be as convincing as Sam I Am, but maybe (like Abe Lincoln) you’ll get to know people before deciding you don’t like them; maybe you’ll try green eggs and ham before deciding you hate them; maybe you’ll get to know your snakes before deciding to despise them! Too far? How about this?

Would you like a snake near you anywhere?
No, but perhaps I would like one way over there!

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