Snake Characteristics: Sensuous • Inventive • Meticulous • Unemotional • Nervous
Scientific Name: Dasypeltis scabra
Collective Term: A twist of snakes 

A Problem Childhood?

Pity the cold-blooded snakes. Without arms, wings or flippers, they are forced to slink through life in a solitary quest for warmth and acceptance. Shy and insecure, they keep a low profile to avoid the disapproving glances and teasing of others. Fortunately, their poisonous wit and quick tongues help to keep tormentors at bay.

As a child, its small frame was no defense against the taunts of the playground bullies, so its sharply vicious counter-attacks were adopted as means of protection. Snakes have no illusions about getting breaks in life and when they see doors opening for others, they resign themselves to staying in their lowly, entry level positions. So don't try and humor the snake for it has reconciled itself to its subservient position.

Snake Personalities are Spiritual and Arty

With their intimate connection to the earth and their unique perspective on life, snakes have learned to express themselves through art. Whether writers, moviemakers or painters, they are obsessively meticulous about their craft, and every now and then, one makes an impact on the art world and is thrust into the spotlight. But the snake recoils from the glare of publicity, and its behavior becomes even more erratic than usual. Woody Allen, the proverbial snake, comes to mind.

In winter, the cold-blooded snake is miserable. It just can't cope in the low temperature that seeps in through its thin skin, affecting its mood and sapping its energy. Prone to colds and flu, they are a pathetic sight as they snivel and cough throughout the season. But when summer returns with its warmth and light, the snakes' moods brighten.

The Snake's Career

Snakes are not fussy about their choice of jobs. As cold blooded personalities they perform best when given warmth and kindness and will accept almost any job, provided they feel secure. However, if they feel mistrusted, they live up to their reputation and return the disloyalty. Consequently, they are often relegated to menial jobs in the fast-food industry or as unskilled labor.

Snakes in the Wild

Snakes have long been feared and often appear in art and mythology. Although some are dangerously venomous, most are quite harmless and approachable.

It's difficult to determine which snake is the most dangerous to man because there are so many factors involved. Those with a very potent poison may not be dangerous because they rarely bite, while others with less toxic venom might be more aggressive. Nonetheless, it is generally agreed that the boomslang, mamba, cobra, and krait are contenders for this dubious title.

More interesting is the almost universal revulsion of snakes. Fear of snakes might well be a genetically encoded behavior, and although some people have snakes as pets, these reptiles continue to generate bad press in popular mythology.

Careers & Hobbies

Writer • Artist • Psychoanalyst • Food industry • Philosophy major
Swimming • Sculpture • Debating • Astrology • Love & Friendship

It's not easy for the snake to disguise itself. Even its speech betrays its reptilian heritage -- for they often have a slight lisp or stutter. This doesn't do much to help their self-esteem so they're far more likely to spend their evenings quietly at home, than boogying down in a nightclub.

For all their vulnerabilities, snakes exude mysterious sexual ooze that seeps into the senses of even the most discriminating people. This is not love that we're talking about -- it's the deep reptilian desire for forbidden fruit -- of which we are all familiar.

When it comes to relationships, the motivations of the snake are clearly understandable. Snakes seek warmth. Period. Even when they're in a committed relationship, if they sense more warmth in a new partner, they slither off without looking back.

So, successful long-term unions are few and far between for the snake whose best chances are with those other social misfits: the vulture and weasel personalities. But at all costs it should avoid the sharp talons of its natural enemies: the roosters, peacocks, eagles and owls.

Famous Snakes

Woody Allen

Ask Mia Farrow if she thinks Woody is a snake. He's shy, reclusive and blindingly smart -- and his motivations are hard to discern.

Stephen Miller

Some people say that poison doesn’t fall far from the tree, but like him or hate him, the man behind Trump’s curtain has undeniably reshaped the international order.