⁍ The post alleges that this difference is generally a good indicator of whether a snake is dangerous or not.

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⁍ Reuters contacted a few herpetologists, orreptile and amphibianexperts to address the veracity of this claim.

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– If you see a snake moving on the surface of water, it might be a sign that it’s venomous or not. But if you see a snake moving beneath the surface, it might be a sign that it’s a non-venomous snake, according to a viral post that has gone viral on social media. The post claims that this difference is generally a good indicator of whether a snake is dangerous or not, Reuters reports. According to a fact-check conducted by Reuters, experts from the University of Georgia, Cornell University, and the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute all say that all snakes can swim and most swim below the surface, or partially submerged. venomous and non-venomous snakes “generally swim and float at the surface with only their head (maybe also neck) above the water,” with the rest of their bodies at least a slight angle below the surface. “I wouldn’t grab a snake or not [though] based just on that criterion!” writes Harry Greene, an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology professor at Cornell. A rep for the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute says non-venomous water snakes “generally swim and float at the surface with only their head (maybe also neck) above the water,” with the rest of their bodies at least a slight angle below the surface. “Snakes may swim under water when fleeing a predator or to hunt, and species like cottonmouths do eat fish and frogs just likewater snakes,” writes JohnMaerz.