Snake Expert Claims You Can Smell Snakes

This has raised a lot of arguments in our studio. Can you smell snakes? I was out on a jog with my dog Olive when we ran upon a snake. The snake was about 2 feet long and a few people think it was a coachwhip snake. My co-worker asked me "Did you smell it?" Imagine my face of disgust like "Who picks up and smells a snake?".

Apparently many people in the south believe that they can smell snakes. One listener claimed that she can walk in a shed and smell them out and another listener said he can smell them when he's out fishing.

After arguing all week long we finally decided to call a local herpetologist, Steve, from Steve’s Snaketuary. The mission at Steve's Snaketuary is to educate and to help with safe removal, relocation and the rehoming of snakes.

Steve set the record straight, snakes give off a smell that he described as "musky". Why do snakes do this? To warn us of course. Although I personally have never smelled a snake, I have to take the experts word for it. Some people claim that snakes smell like cucumbers and watermelon, but our snake expert friend claims he has only ever smelled them as "musky".

If you're ever out and about and smell a weird musky smell, be careful, there may a snake trying to make sure you keep walking and ignore it. If you run up on one and need it rehomed or moved, you can call Steve with Steve's Snaketuary and he can educate you as he did for us!