Would mace work on a snake?

Factual Questions
21

it would seriously affect anything that depends on mucous membranes…eyes, lungs, etc…

as far as pepper being a mammal only pain…you have it half right. Humans are the only animals that eat peppers on a regular basis ON PURPOSE.

D.

22

A ranger at the Everglades Park Headquarters once told me that they had received credible reports of anaconda sightings within the park. From the way he talked, I doubt a stick would be effective against an anaconda.

23

I’ll second a walking stick and add appropriate clothing as your best bets to avoid snake bites. I hike on a regular basis in areas with rattlesnakes, rubber boas, racers, etc. My experience is that these snakes run away if able to do so.

A friend of mine keeps several snakes, snakes that I would not feel comfortable handling at all. In my experience if I want to keep a snake, I have to be willing to risk being bitten. I realize this is not the case with all handlers, since many people keep venomous or “hot” snakes. Some of the snakes in my friend’s collection have considerable sized fangs and exceptional striking distances. He keeps bottles of mouthwash on hand for emergencies.

Doing a search I found this segment: “The easiest and fastest way to disengage a snake’s mouth from your body [is] with grain alcohol; in a school setting, you can use Listerine or, if none is available, isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. The latter can be toxic, so you must make sure that the snake’s mouth is not flooded with it. Always tilt the snake’s head downwards so that the fluid does not run up into its nose; from there it can get into its respiratory tract, causing infections.” This was from a gopher snake information page. http://www.reptilemall.com/caresheets/gopher.html

I don’t know how effective mouth wash would be while hiking, so I’d stay with a walking stick. I guess I should add that all of the snake bites I have received have occurred while handling snakes, not hiking.

24

I wouldn’t. No offense to Zette, though.

[[And they don’t usually carry knives, because, you know, no arms.]]

There’s a one liner joke in here somewhere, about a snake bearing arms, but I can’t think of it right now.

25

I would think it would just piss the snake off and make him more likely to strike.

26

I’m tending to agree with Guin. Again, I have no intention of going out and randomly attacking snakes with anything- I stay FAR away from them, believe me. I was just wonding about the spray/mace.

Great info, though, folks. I appreciate it!
And If I get eaten by an anaconda, I’ll remember that you said that, Jill. Or something like that.

27

I would think that something like this would be great snake insurance.

.410 Revolver

28

Using mace on a bear predisposes being extremely close to the bear in order to use it. By that time, the bear is already after you and mace will only make it worse.

Carrying mace against a snake means having the mace out, in hand and at the ready while hiking in order to do any good – especially with those snakes that lie in wait and strike! just as you pass by.

If you’re so afraid to be out and about that you have to carry mace against snakes – or a gun against a bear in a national park – do your hiking by driving an SUV. At least that way when you get into trouble and call for help with your cell phone, you can relax in comfort knowing help will find you in no time; they’ll just follow the torn up land to trace your path.

29

This article suggests that the pain caused by capsaicin is unique to mammals.

Capsaicin binds to a mammalian protein and THAT is what causes the pain. Birds are completely unaffected and can happily eat habaneros all day long. You’re probably better off with a stick, good boots, and some caution.

30

My father carried shells like this in a revolver for snake supression while hunting.

31

Why the hell would anyone need to mace a snake?
If you have enough time to search for, find, aim and then trigger a can of mace, you would surly have enough time to move out of its way!
Leave it alone and it will surely leave you alone! The only snake aggressive enough to attack a person (unless threatened) is the dreaded “Black Mamba”. (Who by the way resides in Africa)
Unless your into animal cruelty, "leave it alone!!!

Vent-Vent-Vent-
Now that I’m done venting!
Doesn’t mace work by seeping into your pores and mucus membranes?

I never did see a crying snake sweat.

32
      • Mace don’t work. On anything. It makes you “uncomfortable”, yes, but being next to a dead bear and being next to an uncomfortable bear are two entirely different situations. If you’re that afraid of bears, carry a .357 (black bears) or a .44 (brown bears, & pray devoutly as you’re aiming).
        ~
33

Mace Security International, the company that owns the Mace trademark, also makes “Bear Pepper Mace” which presumably works on bears. Mace itself was originally a trademark for the lachrymator chloroacetophenone (CN), but now the product contains ortho-chlorobenzylidene-malononitrile (CS). These names alone are enough to make a snakes eyes water. The actual substances, with or without added pepper, are much more powerful ;).

34
      • Yea, but if you put a bullet into a bear’s brain it’s pretty likely he isn’t going to be much of a threat. Does Mace International make any kind of guarantee that their product will drive off 100% of all bears? -Do they even make the claim that it will disable 100% of all people?
        ~
35

Here’s a Straight Dope staff report by Colibri about hot peppers and birds and mammals: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mchili.html

Oh, and any suggestion about what kind of bullets or poison I should use on the cat from next door that stalks birds at my feeder? And the other neighbor’s dog that craps in my front yard in the middle of the night?

36

I have heard that a good way to poison animals is to let a can of tuna sit out in the open with a little hole in it until a good crop of botulism (sp?) sets in, then remove rest of lid and set out for pesky animal to eat. Failing that, you might ask the neighbor to put a collar and bell on the little darling so at least the birds hear it coming…

37

Bells on cats have proven not to work in warning birds. But ftr, I’d never shoot or poison an animal. Even a pesty non-native predator. I can’t imagine why anyone would ever need to kill a snake, either. They’re not even good to eat.

38

Walking stick, hell! You’ve just given us a great justification to take grain alcohol on a camping trip!

Grain Alcohol could [ul][li]repel the snakes (OK, that’s a stretch)[/li][li]get them to disengage if they DO bite[/li][li]sterilize your wounds[/li][li]relieve snake bite pain[/li][/ul] Just don’t let the alcohol impair your judgment to the point where you are seeking out snakes to play with.

Have a fun and safe camping trip, Zette.

39

FTR, you don’t have to be drunk to like playing with snakes. Ask any herpetologist.

40

Australians use a piece of number 8 wire with a handle as a snake killer - much easier than a stick, just whip it on to the ground and snake. The reason - it does not require accuracy when trying to hit a moving snake.

Simon