Cats in my rural hometown catch snakes and eat them in summer. Are cats really not afraid of snakes?

Cats and snakes have one thing in common, which is that they both hunt mice. Cats can actually catch snakes, too.

Cats catching snakes is a scene that is rarely seen in cities, but it can be seen in rural areas. The food given by people is too plain, so cats in rural areas like to hunt in the wild, and occasionally get some meat. In addition to catching mice and lizards, cats sometimes catch a snake from the wild and drag it home to eat. The leftovers will be left indoors. However, sometimes cats catch snakes just for fun.

It is difficult to see the battle between cats and snakes. When two meet on a narrow road, the brave one wins. Are cats really not afraid of snakes?

Snakes are reptiles. Except for pythons and anacondas, which have relatively large bodies, most snakes are slender and small in size. Snakes can be divided into two categories: venomous snakes and non-venomous snakes. They can also be divided into three categories according to their size: large, medium, and small. Pythons and anacondas are large non-venomous snakes.

There are about 3,400 species of snakes in the world, and more than 240 species in my country. Most of them are non-venomous snakes. Except for a few large non-venomous snakes, most non-venomous snakes have weak attack capabilities, while venomous snakes have strong attack capabilities.

Snakes are cold-blooded animals, so they can only move freely when the ambient temperature is relatively warm. Therefore, snakes in temperate regions usually hibernate in winter. This is why you usually don't see snakes in winter. Therefore, when a snake's body is in a low temperature state, its attack power will also be weakened.

Although snakes seem ferocious and some have evolved the ability to use poison, they are still not invincible in nature and have many natural enemies, such as humans, eagles, mongooses, honey badgers, etc.

Cats are mammals and are also called little tigers because they are close relatives of tigers in the cat family. Cats can be divided into domestic cats and wild cats. Domestic cats have been domesticated by humans for thousands of years. The weight of an adult domestic cat is about 2.5 to 12 kilograms. There are about 27 subspecies of wild cats in the world, and the average weight does not exceed 5 kilograms.

According to statistics, there are about 80 kinds of domestic cats in the world. my country also has many native domestic cat breeds, which are collectively called Chinese rural cats. Chinese rural cats mainly include civet cats, yellow civet cats, Sichuan Jianzhou cats, calico cats, white cats, black cats and other breeds. Among them, civet cats and yellow civet cats are the most common and widely distributed. Most of the orange cats and fat orange cats commonly referred to in China are yellow civet cats. One of the most obvious characteristics of it is that it is heavy and easy to gain weight.

Nowadays, most domestic cats are pet cats, and a considerable number of them are hybrid and mutated breeds. Most of them have lost their wildness. Not to mention catching snakes, they are even afraid of mice.

As one of the few domestic cats with wild nature, the tabby cat weighs only about 5 kilograms on average, not as heavy as the fat orange cat, but it has strong fighting power. It not only has strong mouse-catching skills, but can also prey on snakes. The tabby cat is very flexible and can jump from a two-meter-high eaves without any problem. It also has sharp claws and teeth. The tabby cat is also very good at climbing trees. If it is frightened, it can climb up a 10-meter-high tree in a few seconds.

Cats are carnivores, and they eat insects, small birds, mammals, and reptiles. Small snakes are also included in their diet. However, due to long-term domestication by humans, domestic cats have changed their eating habits and become omnivores.

Who will win in a cat-snake fight? When a cat and a snake meet, who will win depends on several situations.

If a pet cat is involved in the battle, the snake will basically win, after all, most pet cats don't even dare to catch mice. Therefore, the cats that will fight below are all domestic or wild cats with relatively strong fighting power.

If a cat and a venomous snake meet, the cat basically cannot win, and the best case scenario is that both sides will suffer. There are 450 species of venomous snakes in the world, and none of them are easy to deal with. Small ones are more toxic, while large ones are less toxic and excrete a large amount of venom. Even if there is anti-snake venom serum, humans still have to avoid venomous snakes. Being bitten by a venomous snake is no joke. If a cat and a venomous snake meet, even if the cat can kill the venomous snake, as long as it is bitten, the cat will basically die, because the cat cannot resist the snake venom.

If the snake is small or medium-sized, then the cat will win. Cats fight mainly by relying on their agility, and they are good at dodging and detouring. Small or medium-sized non-venomous snakes are not big in size, and they mainly rely on biting and entanglement to hunt their opponents. As long as they are not entangled by it, it is okay even if they are bitten by a non-venomous snake. Cats are not only agile, but also have sharp teeth and claws, which are the nemesis of small non-venomous snakes.

If a cat encounters a larger snake like a python, then the cat will definitely lose. The python has an amazing ability to wrap around and can kill a cow. Even a big cat or tiger cannot say that it has a chance of winning when encountering a python. However, cats will also seek benefits and avoid harm. When encountering such a large snake, it dare not provoke it.

In short, cats will not easily provoke poisonous snakes or larger snakes. As for whether cats can tell whether snakes are poisonous or not, this is not clear.

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