Snakes are often portrayed as villainous in movies, and in reality, we tend to view them that way. We see them as cold, maniacal, killing machines with no atom of feelings, just aggression.
However, it has since been discovered that snakes are more scared of humans than we are of them.
This also points to the fact that they have feelings, which makes us wonder how much they feel and if they feel pain.
The straight answer is yes, snakes feel pain to some extent. We assume they don’t because they show no facial expressions, but while we can’t be sure how they feel pain compared to humans, it’s clear that they do.
The reaction snakes give when you step on them is a good indicator.
Here’s more to know on this subject.
Do Snakes Feel Pain?
It is hard to compare both humans and snakes to know the exact ways these reptiles feel pain, but they do.
Contrary to myths that state that snakes only have a mechanical reaction to stimuli, they indeed experience clear feelings of pain.
This is further buttressed by the fact that snakes (and reptiles in general) have basic emotions like aggression and fear.
According to an expert, snakes primarily feel aggressive or fear, but can also sense pleasure when touched. This broadens the possibility that snakes can feel pain, but let’s see what science has to say.
Scientific Evidence for Snakes Feeling Pain
National Geographic did its research on animals feeling pain and came up with amazing findings.
To the question “do animals feel pain the same way we do, and how can we tell?” NatGeo draws out how animals in different categories can feel pain.
They discovered that reptiles have the required neuroanatomy to perceive pain.
Another research suggests that all reptiles (including snakes) feel a wide range of emotions, including anxiety, stress, fear, and pain. The research aimed to ensure snakes in captivity gets the best treatment possible.
Then there’s a third study that sought to understand the signs of reptiles feeling the pain to manage the said pain.
Some behaviors the study highlighted as signs of a reptile feeling pain are aggression, duller colors, loss of appetite, and immobility.
Perhaps the biggest objection to snakes feeling pain is their cold-blooded nature, which makes their metabolism slow.
However, while it enables them to resist a certain amount of heat, they’ll experience discomfort if it rises to a certain level.
Also, snakes feel warm during warm weather and will only need the external heat source when the weather gets colder, so they aren’t far different from humans.
What Type of Pain Do Snakes Feel?
Though there are pieces of evidence to prove snakes feel pain, they may not feel it the way humans and mammals do.
For starters, they show no visual display of pain. They’re also able to glide through the soil with ease, something a human or mammal can’t do.
Humans tend to sense pain faster than snakes, due to the pain receptors we have. These receptors connect to the spinal cord and go through a couple of other steps for us to sense pain.
All these happen in an instant, and that’s why we pull our hands out in a split second when we touch something hot.
Snakes, in contrast, have a slow metabolism, which suggests that they will not feel pain the way humans do. However, they do feel pain longer as they remain more conscious, even after having their heads cut off.
What type of pain do they feel, then?
Snakes have been known to feel pain when decapitated because of how they remain conscious for some time after that. They also lash out, hiss, or slip away if someone steps on them, suggesting that it hurts.
Their cold-blooded nature might also make them vulnerable to weather changes. Some other factors might cause pain too.
Do Snakes Feel Pain When Cut in Half?
Snakes are frequently hunting targets because of their hides and meat.
The fear of their venom also makes people eager to strike at any snake they see, even if the specie is harmless. Many of them end up being decapitated.
The unfortunate part is that studies have shown that snakes remain conscious after being cut into two, and you’re likely to see them squirming, which is an indication of pain.
Thus, it is inadvisable to cut a snake into two, except when under life threat. If a snake in your home or garden is harmless, there are safer ways to get rid of it.
Can Snakes Feel Pain when Stepped On?
Imagine you get stepped on while standing on a subway? Like any other humans, you’re sure to react by flaring up, using some strong language, contorting your face, or making a sound that indicates pain.
While snakes can’t visibly show their pain, their instinctive reaction when they get stepped on shows that it could be painful.
However, these reptiles do not strike back as a form of revenge but as a defensive tactic.
Similar to how you’d react by instinct when stepped on, snakes have a fight-or-flight pattern—or in their case a “bite or flight” pattern.
You’re more likely to get bit by a venomous snake if you step on it. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent this.
Can Snakes Feel Pain during Cold Weather?
The cold-blooded nature of these reptiles makes the cold weather unbearable, and the ways they attempt to protect themselves from the cold suggests that they feel at least some level of discomfort when the temperature drops.
Snakes don’t hibernate as some mammals do, but they undergo what is known as brumation. During this state, their body metabolism reduces considerably and the temperature goes down.
The snake becomes slow and sluggish. It might occasionally come out of that state to warm itself, but it would only become active when the weather changes.
They seek out warm, enclosed environments called hibernacula.
Can Snakes Feel Pain When Giving Birth?
Most (not all) snakes are oviparous, which means they lay eggs. With little information on the subject, we can’t be sure how oviparous snakes feel when they lay eggs.
They can’t speak for themselves either, so there’s a lot of mystery on this subject.
That said, we can presume that there would be some level of discomfort when they lay eggs.
Sometimes it doesn’t go smoothly too, increasing the chances of the snake feeling pain while laying eggs. Egg-binding is another painful risk for oviparous snakes, and it is life-threatening.
Snakes that give birth live are ovoviviparous. They carry the eggs inside rather than hatching them. When the eggs hatch, the snakelets slither out and go their ways.
There’s a myth that snakes that give birth live to die after they do. However, there’s no evidence of this. There might be some level, however.
Can Snakes Feel Pain When They Shed Their Skin?
There’s no indication that snakes go through any pain when they shed.
Shedding is hardly a painful process for many animals, snakes included. Even humans shed, but we feel no pain when we do.
Snakes might feel some itchiness, though, as they let out old skin. However, this isn’t synonymous with feeling pain.
Do Snakes Feel Pain When They Eat Large Prey?
Some snakes swallow their prey whole rather than using venom, and while the process might look strenuous for humans, it is normal for these reptiles.
They have a large mouth that easily covers up prey that might seem big. Thus, snakes may not feel any pain when they eat.
However, there’s a choking hazard involved with these reptiles. Some prey might be too big, leading to the snakes dying in the process. The prey would die too.
Do Snakes Feel Angry When in Pain?
As we’ve established, snakes can express both fear and aggression as basic emotions. Added to the instinctive reaction when they get stepped on, snakes do feel angry when in pain.
They may also feel some other emotions like pleasure while feeding, but there’s little evidence to prove this.
The reason why some experts conclude that they may feel emotions like pleasure is because snakes in captivity recognize their owners who feed them.
How Humans Inflict Pain on Snakes
Except for snake owners and enthusiasts, the conflict between humans and snakes persists.
We see these reptiles as dangerous (and the venomous ones are), but statistics have shown that we might be more dangerous to snakes than they are to us.
According to the first statistics, an estimate of 7,000 to 8,000 people get bit yearly in the United States. However, the death rate from these bites is low.
In contrast, the second statistics shows that humans hunt down different snake species (especially pythons) for their skin, and extract the skin in inhumane ways.
Some get pinned on a tree, others have their heads removed. They might also be bludgeoned or inflated.
Final Thoughts
These reptiles have feelings and they are more scared of us than we are of them.
Though there isn’t a large amount of evidence proving this, there’s enough to suggest that snakes can feel pain in certain circumstances.
This casts a bad night on using natural snake hides for fashion as the snakes suffer for the hides to be gotten.
Potential snake owners would also know that good care is beneficial, and unless a snake is harmful, there’s no need to kill it. Moreover, they have a role to play in the ecosystem.
Check out these interesting articles:
- Do Snakes Eat Their Shed?
- Are Snakes Blind?
- Are Snakes Nocturnal, Diurnal Or Crepuscular?
- Do Snakes Have Tails?
- How Do Snakes Sleep With Their Eyes Open?
Featured Image Credit: the4js / Getty Images Signature
