Today I Learned (TIL)

6548 readers

26 users here now

You learn something new every day; what did you learn today?

/c/til is a community for any true knowledge that you would like to share, regardless of topic or of source.

Share your knowledge and experience!

Rules

Information must be true
Follow site rules
No, you don't have to have literally learned the fact today
Posts must be about something you learned

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

317

TIL scientists stepped on 175 rattlesnakes with a fake leg to see how many would bite. The study found that only 6 bit. The rest just froze or tried to wiggle away. Snakes just want to be left alone. (www.npr.org)

submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

25 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Maybe the behavior of rattlesnakes is different than other species, but I spent a lot of time catching and handling garter snakes as a kid and I very rarely was bitten. They are most likely to bite if you grab them around the middle and hold on. Normally they will just poop on you and try to get away.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

Wow just like people

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

The battle in my neighborhood about whether it was garter or guarder snake was intense. No internet and two different kids moms told us two different things so it was a heated battle. One kid couldn't pronounce neither he ended up called them Horton snakes for some reason like Tim Hortons. Some kids thought they were garden snakes cus they lived in the garden. Pre internet was a different time man.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

TIL garter snakes are just like most people.