Hoopsnakes are dangerous snakes found in Australia.
Commonly found in bushland and the outback, Hoopsnakes are NOT lethal, but are still dangerous when confronted. Although usually quite timid animals, Hoopsnakes have been known to chase down and attack animals and humans during their breeding period. If bitten by the Hoopsnake, headaches, vomiting, and temporary blindness and paralysis may occur.

What makes the Hoopsnake different from other snakes in the world is their ability to to roll, in a way much like a wheel or hula-hoop (hence the name, Hoopsnake). They bite onto their tail, which is very thick and callused, and use their strengthened spines to roll into a circular shape and roll around. Using this method, the Hoopsnake can reach up to 60km/h.


Hoop Snake Cartoon

If you should encounter a hoop snake in the wild, the best defense is to run as fast as you can and hope to find a fence to leap over. The hoop snake will have to uncoil to get through the fence, thereby slowing it down. Some have reported that diving through the hoop of the snake will cause it to run away. This, however, has never been verified.

Sightings are still occasionally reported, though the existence of the hoop snake has never been accepted by the scientific community. Naturalist Raymond Ditmars placed $10,000 in trust at a New York bank for the first person to provide evidence of a hoop snake. Some have suggested it is a distorted description of the sidewinder of the American Southwest, or of mud snakes, which will occasionally lie in a loose hoop shape. The hoop snake possibly is an embellishment of actual instances of snakes swallowing their own tails, mistaking them for prey.

Check the links  below for more information on this extraordinary creature:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hoop%20Snake

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoop_snake

 

Click to Post