Today I Learned (TIL)

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TIL scientists stepped on 175 rattlesnakes with a fake leg to see how many would bite. The study found that only 6 bit. The rest just froze or tried to wiggle away. Snakes just want to be left alone. (www.npr.org)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 4 months ago (7 children)

What if they just smelled or otherwise knew it was fake?

[–] [email protected] 25 points 4 months ago (3 children)

A threat's a threat, I doubt snakes are aware of the fact that they even have venom, much less that it only works on certain living biological entities. But I'm no Snake Scientist, so I could obviously be totally wrong.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago

Snakes only produce a small amount of venom and it takes days to replenish reserves. They have fine muscle control over how much venom they release and scientists have measured them releasing amounts of venom relative to the size of their target.

Not sure how aware they are of doing it but I wouldn't be surprised with all of a viper's sensory organs that they knew venom would go to waste on a prosthetic

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