Encounter Atlas
The hoop snake is a staple of American rural tall tales: a snake that takes its tail in its jaws and rolls downhill after its victim like a wagon hoop. At the last moment it straightens out and strikes with a venomous stinger on its tail. The only escape is to jump behind a tree, which takes the hit and dies.
A 1784 travel account from the United States described the rolling snake in detail, and the story later fed into Pecos Bill tales. Snake experts suggest the mud snake and rainbow snake, which have pointed but harmless tail tips, and the habit of some snakes of coiling in a loop.
What witnesses report
- A snake rolling along in a hoop
- A sharp, stinging tail
- A tree that withers after being struck
Famous cases
- 1784Described in a travel letter
United States
Seen the Hoop snake?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
