There’s a widely held misconception among rural Australians that snakes drink cow milk. But this couldn’t be further from the truth!
Venomous snakes are carnivores and will only consume meat – the calories from plants don’t suffice to sustain them. This makes plants inedible to them as a source of nutrition.
Venomous Snakes
Cows are large animals that make them particularly challenging for snakes to take down. Even the biggest snakes will not likely be able to successfully attack a cow due to its many venom glands, which only release so much poison at once.
Venomous snakes have the potential to inflict deadly wounds upon cows, but only if they inject enough venom into them. Rattlesnakes typically employ cytotoxin when biting their prey as this attack only affects cells within their target’s body. They may also use smaller amounts of neurotoxin as protection from predators or to frighten away humans (The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology; opens in new tab).
Venomous Snakes That Can Eat Cows
Venomous snakes tend to be obligate carnivores, meaning they require meat-based foods in order to survive. While they won’t eat fruits or vegetables like other snakes do, they can digest them if chewed. Furthermore, some may scavenge other animals’ meat; however this could leave them sick or malnourished according to The Natural History Museum in London (opens in new tab).
Some snakes, like the diamond python, have the remarkable capacity to swallow an animal twice their own size. This feat of physiology is achieved due to their long jaws that can open wide to grasp larger prey items.
King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), one of the world’s most deadly snakes, can detect movement up to 330 feet away and flare its head to alert people. Additionally, this highly poisonous reptile has been known to lift its head off the ground up to one third its body length when threatened, according to The San Diego Zoo (opens in new tab).
Australian Museum reports that these snakes tend to be shy creatures and won’t attack humans unless threatened. When threatened, they will only venom their prey by coiling themselves into tight S-shapes before striking with rapid bites or multiple bites.
Venomous snakes such as the coral snake (Varanus conirostris) can inject a small amount of venom into their prey to instantly kill them. This poisonous substance, called neurotoxin, paralyzes their prey’s nervous system.
Australian Museum reports that snakes will release a stinging spray from their glands to warn off attackers, according to The Australian Museum (opens in newtab). They can be an annoying nuisance on land near water where they can slither through clay crevices and into prey animals’ burrows.
Other venomous snakes that can harm cattle include the banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus), brown tree snake (Cryptolaimidae) and inland taipan (Taipan coronatus). These serpents tend to be sluggish during the day and will only strike when feeling threatened, according to The Australian Museum.
Dr. Jennifer Haugland from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston emphasizes the urgency of treating a cow’s wound promptly after attack. High fever caused by venom can result in death for both mother and unborn calf; additionally, the venom can prevent air from reaching her lungs, making it impossible to breathe normally.
