Can A Dead Snake Still Bite Me? Science Explains!
Channel: New York Hall Of Science
Date: 2017-03-15

A video explaining why snakes are able to bite and move after they die.

Director/Producer: Lucey
Scribe: Shariar 
Cam A: Stephanie 
Editor:  Shariar
Sound: Jaimee 
Talent: Saif Zaidi

Script:

How can a dead snake still bite me? 

Narrator:
Snakes take playing dead to a whole new level. Once they die, they're dead, but not really… Think of them as being a part-time zombie. 

Insert video of snake head biting down on metal pole

Narrator:
What you just saw isn't out of some science fiction movie. It's very real and very dangerous..

Insert news titles of chef incident of dead snake biting him

Narrator: 
Snakes are not only resilient, but they tend to hold grudges… Even in death. 

Insert video of venom dripping from fangs

Narrator:
As last ditch effort to get the last laugh, dead snakes are able to not only bite you, but inject venom as well. We tend to forget that bodies in a general sense are a coalition of cells working together. Once the snake dies and its soul goes to snake heaven, the body still remains. Since the body has no brain, it's only capable of its innate biological functions. 

Insert picture or video of a close up of a snake's skin, maybe moving on a branch

Narrator: 
Unlike humans, a snake's body tissue stays alive a good amount of time without blood circulation due to it being ectothermic, or a cold blooded. So how does this all help a dead snake bite you? 

Narrator:
How does it go from this

Narrator takes right hand and extends hand to the right
Insert picture of snake where narrator is point

Narrator:
To that 

Narrator extends hand left, Insert picture of snake lying on the ground (supposed to look dead)

Narrator:
And then a mindless snake zombie?!

Narrator points up, insert picture of zombie/zombie snake

Narrator:
Well the answer lies in the snakes heat-sensory pits in its mouth. 

Insert photo of a snakes open mouth with sensory pits in view

Narrator:
Once the snakes sensory gland detects any form of heat, the pit organ sends a chemical message to optic tectum. 

Insert picture of optic tectum

Narrator:
The optic tectum is responsible for receiving sensory information ranging from auditory to sensory. In this case, it received infrared radiation from what's inside the snake's mouth. 

Insert photo of a ion channel

Narrator:
Once the signal from the sensory pit gets relayed to the optic tectum, the visual processor of the brain, an ion channel starts opening up. 

Ion channels are proteins found in a cell’s membrane that allow for passage of specific ions. Ions pass through the membrane in the snake's mouth and this passing creates electrical impulses. 

This impulse goes through the muscle of the snake's mouth, specifically the contraction of the temporalis muscles which is responsible for biting down.

Narrator:
I think it goes without saying that snakes were already pretty fierce creatures, but this adds a whole new level of danger. If for whatever reason you do see a dead snake, please don't go poking it with a stick or worse, your finger! 

But this doesn't mean snakes are evil or anything. They're really interesting creatures and some of them look really cool. Personally, my favorite snake is the King Cobra, what about you? Leave it in the comments below!


Sources:
https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/infraredsnakes.jsp
http://www.livescience.com/47626-severed-snake-head-can-still-bite.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_sensing_in_snakes
http://www.biologydiscussion.com/zoology/reptiles/7-main-ligaments-and-muscles-in-a-snake-reptiles/41068

YouTube channels used in this vid:
https://www.youtube.com/user/nucleusanimation
Sam Billiter: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGD9jS0zjeLaAXcbD1wXw4g/feed