Michigan Snow Snake?
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on March 3rd, 2006
Is there a snow snake slithering around Michigan?
The Daily Press of Escanaba, Michigan published an article today telling of this reptile cryptid. Is it just a folktale?
It’s hard to get a good description of a snow snake because few people have seen this endangered creature. Snow snake sightings are about as common as Bigfoot sightings or Loch Ness Monster sightings.
A few Yoopers have reported seeing the elusive snow snake. Details are sketchy, but the reptile seems to be nocturnal. It’s more active on the nights of the weekend, and it’s more easily viewed after drinking a few hot toddies.
Most people claim that the snow snake is pure white with eyes as transparent as shards of ice. Snow snakes vary in size from the tiny foot-long ones that reportedly bite into and latch onto cross-country skis, causing skiers to lose control.
A six-foot long snow snake allegedly toppled over an ice fishing shack on Little Bay de Noc.
Living, breathing snakes in the snow are just a myth, but snow snakes did exist. They may be extinct now because the snow snake was a Native American toy.
Many tribes of the snow country had a sport of hurling snow snakes. The Indians crafted their snakes from a straight stick of hickory or ash. They carved the snake’s head on one end and the tail on the other. Snow snakes were decorated and painted.
An Indian drawing, taken from “The Book of Indian Crafts,” shows Iroquois throwing the snow snake.
Then the contest began. The players stooped over and tossed their snakes forward, gliding them across the snow. Points were awarded to the snow snakes that traveled the farthest.
So what do you think, is there a snow snake slithering under the snow covering the forests of Michigan?
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
Apologies for posting this comment on the wrong article, but I mistaking discovered ur website by the bigfoot article on brush mountain in greenwood and the 2 handicapped persons involved. Anyways, I grew up on brush mountain (outside Altoona) before the new highway (I99) was extended to Duncansville/State College, and as a kid, bigfoot(s) were spotted in brush mountain and were reported in the local newspaper (Altoona Mirror) with a picture of a footprint. If u want to do some digging, this info should be verifiable. Also, I had an Uncle spot a bigfoot from a tree stand on Lilly Mountain (near Cresson, Pa) and he swears up & down that he saw this “bigfoot” and his brother and a couple other guys had to take him out of the woods b/c he was paralyzed with fear. He quit hunting b/c of this incidence. His brother told me (briefly) that it was like the stories, but oddly he smelled it before he actuallly saw it. He said it smelled like rotten eggs. The twister to his story is that his gun jammed, so he couldn’t shoot it.
Any info on the infamous hoop snake? Puts tail in mouth and rolls around like a wheel.
I’ve seen the Native American snow snakes in the New York Museum of Natural History, sounded like a pretty fun game, kind of like curling that seems all the rage these days.
Google Amphisbaena for information on the Hoop Snake.
In my younger days, I worked at a ski area in Minnesota.
We used to have a sign posted next to the chair list: Beware of Snow Snakes!
On those rare occasions growing up when it would actually snow in Central Alabama, my cousin would pelt me with snow balls when my back was turned. He would always blame it on the mysterious snow snake who hurled snow balls with its tail. I always thought it was just something our family joked about, had no idea that there was any related myths!
to my thoughts, i dont know if i have to belive in this aleged “snow snake” because i live in michigan. Ive never seen a snow snake and plus wher ein michigan would i tlive.?? seriously, michigan has no good place i can think for it to live.
there is a bunch of buildings and some woods but not many, if this is about the lower pennisalua then yes all of what i said is rihgt but i dont know about the upper penninsula, but all i kno is there is no snow snake.
every winter i would go in mmy woods by my house and just hang with friends, i would climb trees. i would find some insects here and there but no snow snake. snow is my life in winter and i have seen or heard of no snow snake.
i usually belive in this kind of stuff but not this because i live here in michigan, and this is the first ive heard of a snow snake.