Fact or Fiction: Alcohol Will Make a Snake Release Its Bite

A healthy respect for snakes is good — after all, an estimated 5.4 million people globally are bitten by snakes each year! These most often occur in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, but Americans can be affected as well. And if the snake that bit you is venomous, this can cause a variety of detrimental side effects like paralysis, bleeding disorders, kidney failure, tissue damage, and death.

Before you visit the emergency room, you might have to deal with one other problem: getting the snake to release its bite from you so you can get away. In some cases, a snake will hold on with its backward-pointed teeth designed to prevent you from sliding your body part out of its mouth. You can imagine how scary this would be!

So what do you do if a snake won’t let you out of its grip? According to Reddit, people swear by dousing a snake in alcohol to get it to release you. One person suggested “putting rubbing alcohol on a snake’s head,” and another replied, “Whiskey, vodka, basically any higher proof alcohol will do it. I had to find out if it worked myself when my brother’s old 18-foot Burmese python latched on to his hand and started wrapping up his arm.”

Someone else claimed: “Basically anything with a severe noxious vapor would probably do it. Ammonia would probably have it running for the hills so to speak.”

People are swearing by this method, but does it actually work? We consulted with experts to find out if this theory is fact or fiction.

Does Dousing a Snake in Any Kind of Alcohol Make it Loosen Its Bite?

The answer is yes!

“Snakes are sensory-driven animals, so a sharp-smelling liquid like rubbing alcohol or a spirit would likely make them loosen their grip,” Vicky Poole, associate curator of ectotherms at Fort Worth Zoo tells A-Z Animals.

She explains that snakes smell with their tongue, so technically, “any pungent liquid, like vinegar or mouthwash, would also help.” Good to know if you don’t have alcohol (or don’t want to waste the good stuff!).

This Method Comes With Risks

Lance McBrayer, professor and curator of herpetology at Georgia Southern University, does not recommend dousing a snake in alcohol, as this could be risky to you. “The snake feels VERY threatened and that its life is on the line,” McBrayer says.

Instead, he recommends setting the snake on a table or ground so that it can escape. “This would be the best mechanism to encourage it to loosen its bite and move its head away.”

How Else Can You Get a Snake to Release Its Bite?

Another way to get a snake to let go is by placing the snake under running water, like a faucet or a hose, according to Poole. “This would likely cause it to release its grip so that it can breathe,” she says.

If that doesn’t work, you can use something small like a credit card to pry the snake’s fangs away from your flesh. “Most snakes have teeth that are angled back toward their throats so that they can hold onto prey in their mouths,” Poole explains. “If you have access to a credit card or something similar, you can slide the card into its mouth and push up and away from your skin, following the angle in which the snake bite came down.”

Don’t Worry — Chances Are Low This Will Happen

Even if you do get bitten by a snake, it’s unlikely that they will hold on to you. “Snakes are not likely to bite and hang onto anyone … they are more likely to bite and release right away,” Poole explains reassuringly.

Do Your Best to Avoid Snake Bites

The best thing you can do is avoid getting bitten by a snake altogether. McBrayer says, “There really is no reason to handle a snake, especially if one is unsure of what type of snake it is.” Even non-venomous snake bites can require stitches if the snake is large and powerful, McBrayer explains.

“If venomous, then the bites can be fatal,” he continues. “In Africa, Asian, and Australia, venomous snake bites are extremely dangerous and cause thousands of deaths per year. Thus, do not handle snakes unless one is 100% certain of its identity and it is required for the safety of humans and/or the safety of a captive snake.”

Bottom line: It’s not worth it to try to handle a snake yourself. It’s always best to call an expert to safely remove the snake from your environment and to leave the handling of snakes to professionals. And be sure to get medical attention if you are bitten, even if you believe the snake is not venomous.