Danger Noodles

There is a popular trend where animals are renamed based on what they look like or how threatening they are. Examples include “furry nope” for grizzly bears or “formal chicken” for a penguin. One of the most popular rename was “danger noodle” for a snake.

Now that the weather is getting nicer and we are outside more, I am constantly on the lookout for these danger noodles.

The only bad part of this rename is not all snakes are dangerous. 

True, they always take me off guard. One time I was walking down the drive way and I saw a stick that was a little wiggly. I realized it was a tiny green snake. We gave each other the stink eye. And of course, he won.

The snake on my driveway looked like this. Photo by Ranger Marty Silver

And last year, I saw a black snake in the barn and power walked to find Michael to take care of it.

I know some snakes are really good, but I turned to local icon Park Ranger Marty Silver to help me better understand our local snakes.

Marty, who has worked for the Tennessee State Parks for 39 years, said, “Keep in mind no snake wants to bite you. They much prefer to escape. Most bites occur to folks who are trying to catch the snake, or to folks who are not observant and accidentally step on a snake.”

He advises us to avoid bites by leaving snakes alone! (No problem there Marty!)

Snakes are scared of you too! Photo by Ranger Marty Silver

However, there are times when a snake might strike. I always tell my kids to kick their bikes a little bit before they get on them and check the swing set just to be sure. And I always take a stick and poke the shrubs a little bit before I start weeding. I’m not taking chances.

Marty recommends if you or a child (or your pet) is bitten by a non-venomous snake, you should clean it as you would any wound because there’s still a risk of infection from the bite. If you’re not sure whether the snake was venomous or not, do seek medical attention. And if possible, get a good photo of the snake. This can help your medical professional know what they are dealing with.

If you are pretty sure it is a venomous snake bite, be sure to keep the patient calm and cool, be prepared to treat for shock and get them to a hospital ASAP. Early treatment is the key to quicker recovery.

Luckily in our region of Northeast Tennessee, there are only two native venomous snakes - Timber Rattlesnake and Copperhead. Both are pit vipers - they have heat-sensing pits between their eyes and their nostrils. Both have slit-like pupils like cat eyes and have distinctive arrowhead-shaped heads.

The non-venomous snakes have round pupils and narrower heads. But some will flatten their heads when disturbed to make them look more like a venomous snake. And many non-venomous snakes will “buzz” their tails against dry leaves to make you think they have a rattle.

Marty said if you are close enough to see the shape of the snake’s pupils, you’re probably too close!

If you are this close to a snake, you're probably to close. Photo by Ranger Marty Silver

Snakes get a bad rap. But like all living creatures, snakes were designed to serve a purpose. All snakes are predators and help keep nature in balance. And most snakes feed primarily on small rodents, which definitely benefits us. No one likes mice in their house. We heard their little feet all winter!

“My advice for people who are scared of snakes - well, they’re scared of you too,” said Marty. “You might want to go to a snake program at places like Bays Mountain Park or Panther Creek State Park to learn to appreciate, or at least tolerate snakes.”

So hopefully this helps you understand danger noodles aka snakes a little more. 

Photo by Ranger Marty Silver

A huge thanks to Marty Silver for taking time to talk with me about snakes!! My children love when he hosts hikes and creek stomps at Warrior's Path State Park. Thank you.