Snakes are carnivorous creatures that have elongated and legless bodies. These creatures may be venomous or non-venomous and have internal ears. Snakes have to swallow their food whole and cannot bite into it as other animals do.
Can snakes climb walls? Yes, many species of snakes can climb walls very well! However, these walls cannot be smooth as snakes need support and entry points to move their bodies up. If the wall is a brick or stone wall, a snake will easily climb it. Snakes have muscles that allow them to scale up vertical spaces easily.
Read ahead to find out how snakes climb walls and what can attract them to do so.
How Do Snakes Climb?
Snakes come in various types, and many of them can climb vertical spaces without needing any hands, claws, or toes.
The best climbers among snakes are often slender and have long tails. When a snake climbs, it expands and constricts the whole length of its body to move upwards.
Here is how snakes climb walls using their bodies.
Flexing and bending
As snakes climb walls, they need to use their muscles to do so. Snakes have tubular bodies that they have to bend and flex to move upwards on a wall completely.
Snakes may have shiny and glossy midsections, but these are well-suited for climbing rough bark and walls. If their bellies had been rough, this would have disturbed the snake’s progress as it climbs.
Climbing rough surfaces
Whether a snake is climbing a wall or a tree, they prefer rough surfaces. Brick and stone walls have rough and ridged surfaces that allow a snake to climb well. Even experienced climbing snakes like the western rat snake prefers to avoid smoother tree surfaces.
Notch on belly scales
Many snakes like bronze back tree snakes and a few wolf snakes found in Asia find it much easier to climb up walls. This is because the scales on their bellies have a notch on either side. You will also find this notch on the body of brown tree snakes.
Due to this notch, these snakes can create a fold just where the belly scales meet the scales on their back. This fold enables the snakes to hold on to minute irregularities on the wall for support as they move up.
This fold is also called the ventrolateral keel that brings the scales to act like teeth on a gear that grab onto the wall. This keel prevents the sakes from slipping and aids them to move fast over a wall without expending too much energy.
Heavy bellies
Snakes like boa constrictors have rounded cross-sections and will have to expend a large amount of energy as they climb. However, even snakes with a pronounced ventrolateral keel like the brown tree snakes also need a light belly to climb well.
If the stomach area is heavy with food or even eggs, these snakes may find it difficult to climb walls. Knowing how snakes climb has helped many researchers create materials that these creatures find difficult to climb.
In areas like Guam, such material can prevent snakes from climbing poles and electric wires and causing power outages.
What Should You Know About Snakes Climbing Walls?
You now know that several types of snakes climb walls using various parts of their body. If you spot a snaking climbing a wall in your home or yard, here’s what you should know.
Snakes look for trees or wall-nuts
If a wall is plain and smooth, a snake is likely to avoid it. Snakes will climb a wall if they find a tree attached to the wall. This gives them a surface to use as support when they climb. Better yet, they may also climb your wall if it has nuts on it that can support a snake’s movement.
If the wall is attached to a tree, this can prove dangerous to you. In most cases, snakes don’t cross a wall if they can smell humans on the other side. However, as they climb trees, they may cross over an attached wall just out of curiosity.
Once they enter your home, they may find it difficult to find their way out. Hence, this proves problematic both for the snake and for you. You can best avoid such a situation by trimming branches that skim walls and closing all windows near trees.
Climbing snakes may be dangerous
Keeping tree branches trimmed and tidy is necessary to keep all dangerous snakes away from your walls and homes. For instance, a Python or a King Cobra is a bold snake that doesn’t fear much in its path!
If these snakes climb up a wall and find their way into your house, they can be very harmful to your pets and even your kids. The same is also true for pregnant snakes who may find their way into your house early so that they can nurture an environment to lay eggs.
This can lead to a snake population in your home. Pregnant snakes can also be fatal during pregnancy if you try to approach them then.
Preventing Snakes From Climbing Your Home Walls
Some snakes that climb your walls can be very dangerous! The best option is to prevent any climbing at all. Here is how you can do it.
Plastered cement walls
If you construct your cement walls right, snakes will not be able to climb them. All you have to do is smooth them over by plastering them. Snakes will find it difficult to climb over these walls.
You may also want to get rid of any big cracks on the wall. Hanging nails can also be used as climbing support by snakes. By aiming to keep walls smooth and well-maintained, you will be able to keep snakes away from your home.
Using Phenyl
Your doors and windows act as access points for snakes climbing in through walls. Snakes dislike phenyl, and applying some to doors and windows can keep snakes away from these entry points.
Inspect walls for erosion
Many times, digging and erosion can create holes under walls. This both weakens the land and gives access to snakes from down below. Larger snakes are likely to find their way into your home through these eroded areas.
By regularly inspecting your walls and the surrounding soil for erosion and digging, you will be able to block these potential access points for snakes. Pay attention to all the areas around the entire wall for foolproof blocking!
Clean your yard
If you live in a home with an attached yard, the best way to keep snakes away is by making your yard snake-proof. Pay attention to any tins, debris, or piles of material lying around your yard that snakes can inhabit and find a home in.
Carefully clean this up. You may also want to get rid of any debris that is lying close to walls. By further keeping your vegetation trim and tidy, you will be eliminating any hiding spots for snakes.
Related Questions
Can snakes climb high walls?
Yes, snakes can climb high walls if they are made of ridged brick or stone. If the walls are smooth and plastered, snakes generally avoid such walls. If you want to keep snakes from climbing walls, plastered cement walls are a good option.
Do venomous snakes climb walls?
Yes, venomous snakes can climb walls. For instance, timber rattlesnakes climb trees and walls very efficiently. However, some snakes like pit-vipers have heavy bodies and move rather slowly. These species find it difficult to climb walls and may struggle.
Why do snakes climb walls?
During the winter months, many snakes climb walls because they find the other side warmer. They are ectothermic creatures that rely on external heat to keep themselves warm. Snakes may also climb walls looking for prey like birds and rodents living in attics and other areas in your house.
Can snakes find their way inside the walls?
Snakes can fit through tiny areas and can get inside walls. For instance, if there are cracks in your wall or gaps in your foundation and fences, snakes can easily find their way through these. Snakes may move inside a wall for the warmth offered.
Conclusion: Can Snakes Climb Walls?
Snakes can be formidable creatures that don’t mean to do you any harm. They only enter your house to keep warm, for prey, or to mate. In most cases, snakes actively try to avoid human contact.
In answer to the question, yes, snakes can climb walls. If they find a rough wall made of stone or brick, they can use nuts and ridges to loop themselves over and climb up. Further, some species can climb much better than others.
It is a good idea to use a few methods to keep snakes from climbing your walls and entering. By keeping your walls smooth and yard clean, you can keep snakes away from your walls, windows, and home.