Snake Sightings in Shreveport! And the Strange “Cucumber Smell” Connection

It has started happening all over Shreveport, with people sharing pictures of a snake they walked up on. Have you seen someone claim that they "smelled a snake" before they saw it? I have never believed that you can smell a snake; I have walked up on plenty of snakes and never smelled one.

Is the Cucumber Smell a Sign of Snakes Being Nearby?

One of the first things I was told about the dangers of snakes was that you could normally smell them before you could see them. Several people swear that a snake lets off a watermelon or cucumber smell, some claim that there is a skunk smell to a snake, however, I have held so many snakes and none of them have ever had a smell similar to cucumbers. Some threads on Reddit claim that snake dens smell like cucumber, and Revoke Solutions (a Snake repellent company) claims, "Rattlesnake dens are said to have a distinct cucumber-like odor." 

Should You Be On High Alert If Your Home Smells Like Cucumber?

We had to ask Shreveport's favorite snake expert, Steve, at Steve's Snaketuray. Steve mentioned that snakes do give off a smell, but we all smell different things. "Snakes can and do give off a musk and can smell. People smell differently, so it could smell like one thing to one person, and smell like something else to another person. To some people, snakes might smell like cucumbers. They do not smell like cucumbers to me, though." I am going to have to go with the guy who rescues countless of snakes in Shreveport every year, snakes don't smell like cucumbers. Let's come up with a better way to describe the smell that these slithery guys give off, shall we?

If you swear you can smell snakes, how would you describe that smell? Let us know in the comments.