# Why Don't Pentacostal Snake Handlers Get Bitten More Often? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657 "2013-09-12T13:41:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/1 "2013-09-12T13:41:09Z")
Apparently they do get bitten, and sometimes die from these bites (especially since many reject medical treatment for their wounds). But it seems that these guys handle snakes a lot - as in several times a week - and by comparison they seem to get bitten relatively rarely, IOW it’s a very small percentage of the times that they handle the snakes. I once read something about snake charmers which said that snakes were deaf and that the snakes don’t bite the charmers because they keep moving. These Pentacostals tend to move about quite a bit while holding their snakes, so maybe that’s part of it, but they’re holding the snakes at the time, so they’re not really moving relative to the snake. Perhaps the snake is a bit shook up, however. Or maybe snakes don’t bite that much to begin with. [Note: my information about Pentacostal snake handlers is largely based on having seen a show about them on National Geographics the other day, supplemented by reading the Wikipedia entry on the subject. Feel free to correct with more reliable info, if any.] ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/2 "2013-09-12T14:11:58Z")
Snakes just aren’t that aggressive towards non-prey. Venomous snakes often go out of their way to avoid having to waste venom by biting a non-prey animal. This is why a rattlesnake rattles. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/3 "2013-09-12T14:26:36Z")
It’s because they believe in God and the Bible!!! This is obviously clear proof that the Bible is right!!! OR MAYBE… since this is the Dope, instead of quoting the Bible, I’ll quote [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agkistrodon_contortrix) The snake handlers tend to live in the Appalachians or eastern USA , and the one of the common species of snake in those areas is the coopperhead. > [@](#): > > Although venomous, these snakes are generally not aggressive and bites are rarely fatal. Copperheads often employ a “warning bite” when agitated and inject a relatively small amount of venom, if any at all. “Dry bites” involving no venom are particularly common with the copperhead. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/4 "2013-09-12T14:29:35Z")
Also, it’s probable that there is a knack to snake-handling, as in so many other things. If your religion requires that you handle snakes, you’re eventually going to get good at it (assuming you don’t die). And once you’re good at it, you can teach others. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/5 "2013-09-12T14:35:42Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Or maybe snakes don’t bite that much to begin with. Yes, that. People have an inflated sense of the risk of snake bites, just like they do of bee stings (which is probably not a bad thing…a snake isn’t likely to bite, but it’s really not pleasant when they do.) Snakes don’t particularly “like” to bite things they don’t eat - it brings them in closer contact with what they perceive as a threat, and that’s just dumb no matter what your species. A snake’s first impulse is to retreat (YMMV depending on species, of course) or to warn - with rattles or with behavior (posture, etc.). Plus, they’re not the brightest of animals by mammalian measurement, but they do learn people’s scents, and will be a lot more tolerant of the people they are most familiar with. And Mr. Excellent brings up an excellent point, too…the handlers handle snakes, and learn the warning signs of a strike and subtly act to avoid them. Even while they’re moving, a quick grab behind the head can act to prevent a snake from striking, and still look impressive and death defying to an audience. I’ve often wondered if they “milk” the snake before handling, just to further reduce risk. I’m not sure if they do, but it would help…it takes some time for most snakes to restore their venom sacs and be ready for another deadly strike (although of course they can strike without venom any time.) ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/6 "2013-09-12T14:37:12Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Snakes just aren’t that aggressive towards non-prey. Venomous snakes often go out of their way to avoid having to waste venom by biting a non-prey animal. This is why a rattlesnake rattles. But OTOH, according to [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Handlers#Risks): > [@](#): > > In 1991, Glenn Summerford, pastor of The Church of Jesus Christ With Signs Following (in Scottsboro, Alabama), was arrested for the attempted murder of his wife, Darlene. In a drunken rage, Summerford had put a gun to his wife’s head, forced her to write out a purported suicide note and then forced her hand into a cage of rattlesnakes used in church services, until she was repeatedly bitten (his church condemned divorce, so he found it convenient to become a widower). She narrowly survived only because he soon fell into a drunken stupor and she was able to make her escape. He was convicted and sentenced to 99 years of prison. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/7 "2013-09-12T14:50:33Z")
If I were attempting to do what Glenn Summerford did, I would make sure that my victim handled some mice before I forced her to put her hand into the cage. Those who have suggested that snakes are not as likely to bite as we think are correct. When I worked in a venom lab, there were many days when I would extract venom from 100 snakes or more without any of them striking. This process involved opening the sliding lid of a box that contained 4 or 5 snakes, lifting one out with a hook, placing it on a table, pinning its head with the hook, grasping the head and extracting the venom, placing the snake in a clean box, repeat until all snakes have been milked and moved to a clean box. They get pretty lethargic and apathetic in captivity. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/8 "2013-09-12T15:02:07Z")
Let’s not forget that snake handlers have no incentive to tell about all the times they’ve been bit-it would be bad for business. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/9 "2013-09-12T15:06:22Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > But OTOH, according to [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_Handlers#Risks): Yeah, just like most animals, if you corner and harass them, they’ll fight. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/10 "2013-09-12T15:08:29Z")
This past season of the show _Justified_ had a snake-handling preacher in it. The preacher was a true-believer, his sister was the practical one. She milked the snakes so that the bites would be dry, the point of snake handling being that if you trust Jesus He’ll save you from a poisonous snake’s bite, so bites are part of the show. The preacher dies after being goaded into handling a snake caught in the wild. Jesus didn’t Save. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/11 "2013-09-12T15:10:49Z")
About a year-and-a-half ago, there was (yet another) incident where a Pentecostal snake-handler got chomped and died, which was all over the national news. [We had a thread about it then, too.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=653647) There was [another spin-off thread in GD](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=654273), asking whether an athiest or a snake-handling Pentecostal would be more electable for President. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/12 "2013-09-12T15:10:55Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Let’s not forget that snake handlers have no incentive to tell about all the times they’ve been bit-it would be bad for business. If they get bitten and survive, they might brag about it. The bible verses they cite to justify their practices don’t say anything about not getting bitten, and Paul receives a bite from a viper in Acts 28 with no ill effects. It’s snake-bite deaths that are bad for business. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/13 "2013-09-12T15:13:57Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Why Don’t Pentacostal Snake Handlers Get Bitten More Often? Have you ever tasted a Pentacostal before? Especially when they’re all sweaty and have been running around for awile, they can get a little gamey. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/14 "2013-09-12T15:21:26Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > This past season of the show _Justified_ had a snake-handling preacher in it. The preacher was a true-believer, his sister was the practical one. She milked the snakes so that the bites would be dry, the point of snake handling being that if you trust Jesus He’ll save you from a poisonous snake’s bite, so bites are part of the show. It is clear that the writers of the show have at least some passing experience with Pentacostalist tent preachers, and in fact, they toned down the real craziness quite a bit just to make it not not seem so over the top. In addition to this little trick, they also keep the snakes in a cold environment (as in, placing the cage on top of a block of dry ice) so the snake’s normal response is muted. So, they’re “handling” these half-frozen and venom-milked snakes, yelling a lot of “hallelujah” and speaking in tongues, and basically scamming the ever-loving shit out of a bunch of clueless people. Don’t get me started on the ritual physical and emotional abuse that they delve out to initiates in order to inculcate them into their cult of wackadoodle horseshit. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/15 "2013-09-12T16:05:53Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Also, it’s probable that there is a knack to snake-handling, as in so many other things. If your religion requires that you handle snakes, you’re eventually going to get good at it (assuming you don’t die). And once you’re good at it, you can teach others. Yes, there’s got to be that Darwinian selection going on with snake handling. And a pretty steep learning curve too. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-pentacostal-snake-handlers-get-bitten-more-often/668657/16 "2013-09-12T16:08:57Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Have you ever tasted a Pentacostal before? Especially when they’re all sweaty and have been running around for awile, they can get a little gamey. From the thread I cited just a few posts above: > [@Snake Handling Pastor Bitten; Dies-Why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snake-handling-pastor-bitten-dies-why/623656/39): > > Don’t eat the Pentecostidae! Very bad for you. (ETA: Don’t let them bite you either.) > > [sup](Pentecostidae: Land-dwelling blowfish?)[/sup]