In remote rural areas, some elderly individuals often tell the younger generation that if they are afraid of snakes stealing their chickens and ducks, they should raise a few pigs, as pigs are natural predators of snakes.
Whether in the impressions of the general public or in film and television works, pigs are often associated with adorable and foolish imagery. Essentially, they have little to do other than eat and sleep daily, posing no threat to humans or other animals.
However, the situation is entirely different with venomous snakes. When pigs and snakes encounter each other, most snakes will become the meal of pigs. Pigs are not strictly herbivores; they are omnivorous animals. So how do pigs suddenly become the enemies of snakes?
Pigs are common and familiar livestock to everyone. According to archaeologists, studies of pig bones excavated from the Neolithic era suggest that around six to seven thousand years ago, ancient laborers domesticated wild boars into domestic pigs.
1. Pigs are born with “armor”; their thick skin and coarse hair make it hard for snakes to bite them, and the fat on pigs can dilute the venom.
The average weight of domestic pigs is around 100 kg, with some individuals raised in captivity exceeding 200 or 300 kg.
Although venomous snakes are very skilled at attacking, their fangs are curved. In contrast, the thick skin of pigs with coarse hair acts like an armor that is very difficult for a snake’s fangs to penetrate. When a venomous snake tries to bite a pig, it is akin to stabbing a thick tire with a finger; it is unlikely to cause harm to the pig.
Moreover, even if a fang pierces through pig skin, the lethal venom of the snake has a hard time being injected into the pig’s body, posing no danger to its life. This is because most toxins need to react with blood, while pig fat is very dense, making it difficult for the venom to spread quickly into the bloodstream. Over time, the pig’s body will gradually detoxify this amount of venom.
As omnivores, pigs have a diverse diet. In some states in the U.S., pigs have even been trained as “drug-sniffing pigs.” Their exceptional sense of smell gives them sharp awareness of their surroundings. Thus, when a snake appears nearby, they quickly locate its exact position and use their innate skills to completely “subdue” venomous snakes.
In fact, recent studies have shown that their fat does not have much effect because venom can easily pass through it. However, there is another mechanism that gives pigs resistance to venom. Specifically, their resistance is to a-neurotoxin in snake venom. Domestic pigs have a gene mutation in their cell receptors that blocks the binding of a-neurotoxin, rendering the venom ineffective.
This special resistance only appears in pigs when they reach maturity. This could explain why pigs are known to actively attack snakes near their pens. It is a protective response for piglets, which are not yet fully immune.
Besides their thick skin and dense flesh, they are also covered with coarse pig hair, making them fearless of bites from common snakes. Furthermore, the significant difference in body size means that regular snakes will soon be defeated or eaten by pigs, or they will be injured and rush away.
2. Pigs have much higher fighting power than snakes.
Pigs may seem harmless to humans and other animals, but their fighting power is astonishing. The combat ability of domestic pigs can even be compared to that of wild boars. Although they do not like to move much during normal times, they become very active when angry or stressed. With the size and strength of pigs, it is quite challenging for one or two adults to subdue an adult pig with bare hands.
If a snake accidentally enters a pig pen, the pig will quickly locate the snake with its extraordinary sense of smell, attack it in groups, bite or stomp the snake to death, and then swallow it whole; the snake has virtually no chance of resistance.
Even in ancient times, when people wanted to raise free-range chickens, they often kept pigs or geese to protect them, as free-range chickens are very susceptible to snake attacks. With the help of pigs, the number of chickens attacked by snakes has significantly decreased.
3. Pig manure has the ability to repel snakes.
Many people in rural areas know that raising geese can deter snakes, as many snake species strongly dislike goose droppings. Goose droppings contain many pathogenic microorganisms, making snakes easy targets for disease and death. Additionally, the strong smell of goose droppings also scares snakes away.
For the same reason, pig manure, like goose droppings, also contains a large amount of pathogenic bacteria, and pig manure is even more pungent than goose droppings. If a snake crawls through pig manure, it is very likely to become infected with parasites and bacteria from the manure. Therefore, snakes are unlikely to appear in pig pens.
If a snake crawls through pig manure, it is very likely to become infected with parasites and bacteria from the manure.
4. Pigs that eat venomous snakes do not get poisoned.
Snake venom generally needs to react with blood to produce a toxic effect. After a pig consumes a venomous snake, the digestive enzymes and strong acids in the pig’s stomach break down the venom into non-toxic proteins. This is also the reason why pigs survive unharmed after eating venomous snakes.
However, if there are wounds in the pig’s mouth or digestive tract, the pig can also be poisoned after consuming a venomous snake.
