Do snakes lunge at you?
How Far Can a Rattlesnake Jump? Snakes cannot jump, but instead lunge forward from a coiled position at an accelerated speed. How do you tell if a snake will strike? You can usually tell if the snake is about to strike by watching their tail. The positioning of the tail is what will eventually give them leverage and more lunging power. The snake will slowly move its tail into a tighter position and may even prop its tail up against something nearby to give it more leverage.