Snakes are without a doubt one of the most polarizing creatures on this earth. Oh, and by walk I mean glide in an otherworldly way that gives people goosebumps. No matter how you may personally feel about snakes, there is no denying that they are one of the worst tattoo subjects out there.
Snake tattoos are perfect for wrapping around the body and look amazing as the focal point of a sleeve. They can also twine around a few other tattoos and serve as creative gap fillers. There are so many different ways an artist can depict a snake, which is quite an achievement considering a snake is nothing more than a long tube with teeth on one end.
On a personal level, I’m not so sure what I think about snakes. As a little kid I loved snakes. Long before I was born, my mother had worked as a docent at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where she spent most of her time in the reptile house. Of course she tried to tell me the same thing on my trips to the zoo when I was young. And it took a while. I had the privilege of holding a boa constrictor once and it remains one of the most memorable experiences of my life. When I close my eyes I can vividly recall the weight of the snake on my shoulders as it slowly coiled around my waist.
This was the first of two major encounters I had with a snake as a child. The second encounter was very different and left me with fairly mixed feelings about the creatures.
One fall day I was hiking with my father on Mount Diablo in Walnut Creek, California. The grass was all yellow and the trail was a bit dusty as is usual. We were talking about a thing or two – I don’t think I’ve ever shut up for more than 15 seconds since I was 3 years old until I was an adult – as we rounded a corner. Just as I was about to put my right foot down, I heard a deafening hiss and, in the background of the hiss, a rattle that could only mean one thing. I looked down and about a foot in front of me was a snake, coiled up with its head held high, teeth bared and hissing, ready to strike.
At that moment I was moving faster than I had ever been, and probably since. I did a 180 and ran as hard as I could in the other direction. I almost ran over my dad (luckily I didn’t) and didn’t stop for at least a quarter of a mile. I then had a total panic attack at how the snake was taking up lots along the path that was the only way back to the car. We had to go back and the light disappeared pretty quickly.
Luckily I calmed down after a while and by the time we passed the spot the line had moved on. As an adult, I understand that the snake was probably more afraid of being trampled on by a talkative tween than I was of being bitten. But in my psyche, the incident reinforced all the warm feelings I had for the cold-blooded creatures and left me with a brand new phobia.
For years I was afraid of snakes, but over time the curiosity and wonder I felt when holding this boa returned. Now I can fully appreciate the beauty of snakes and the way they are unlike any other creature on this planet. Surprisingly, I’ve even thought about getting a snake tattoo of my own. I’m still undecided, but when I was sourcing the tattoos for the gallery below I was damn close to making an appointment to get it done. Something tells me that by the end of 2022 a snake tattoo will be added to the collection. It ssssseems like a sssssawesome idea.