Do snakes attack humans only when provoked?

Answer 1

Yes, snakes can bite animals.

any animal with a mouth can bite.

snakes bite animals for defense and when hunting.

a venomous snake will bite an animal to inject its venom.

a non-venomous snake will bite an animal to hold on to it while it coils around it to kill it

Answer 2

While snakes readily become 'pets' the are in essence wild animals.

Most snakes acclimatise themselves to human contact, however, some may never become 'tame' For example, one of my Boa constrictors has a real bad attitude sometimes - striking at me through the glass of the vivarium. Once I pick him up, though, he calms down very quickly.

Answer 3

Usually - yes... Snakes would prefer to flee than stand their ground. Venom is 'expensive' for a snake to produce - and needs to be replaced once it's used. Therefore - venomous snakes rarely bite unless they have to.

I have 'collected', kept as pets, and been a part-time snake 'wrangler' for over 15 years in the U.S. for native U.S. snakes(and a few non-venomous exotics). During that time I have NEVER watched or experienced a snake attack that was NOT provoked in some way. There are a few species of snakes that have a reputation for being very aggressive when encountered by humans - but I have no personal experience with them to advise on.

Snakes are like most other animals in my experience - they want to have nothing to do with humans or non-prey animals. In every case I have personally watched a snake attack, the snake was provoked and often in a location that made escape difficult(or had actually been attacked by the person/people around it). If you see a snake, and wish to avoid problems, just back away from the snake slowly - do NOT run or turn away from the snake, as this could cause the snake to attack(if it is aggressive).

Most non-venomous snakes will not attack unless trapped or held, instead they will flee. Venomous snakes will either flee or stand their ground until you have left the area, then they will quickly leave. Venomous snakes can take up to two weeks to refill emptied venom sack(s), so they may strike - but injection of venom really depends on the snake. Younger snakes tend to inject venom more often when threatened, so do NOT think a smaller snake will not inject venom. Also younger venomous snakes tend to have more toxic venom than older snakes, so provoking ANY snake is foolish, unless you know what you are dealing with and how to do it with minimal risk.

- Drake Tinker

Answer 4

Honestly, It really depends on the cat. If it's a sheltered cat whos never seen one before and has no idea what it is, then most likely no. If its a wild cat, Maybe.