it is coiled up: nonóononóutóósi’
it is ready to strike: niiko’óó3oníít
it is sticking tongue in and out: konóoko’óó3oníít
it is crawling/slithering: honooceiseet
Rubber Boa (Charina bottae)
Western Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus)
Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)
Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis)
Locoweeds (Astragalus spp) are believed to be a favorite place for snakes. The name for these plants in Arapaho is siisiiyeibii3hiit, meaning ‘snake food.’ Parents warn their children to stay away from these plants. The Greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus) was called siisiiyeibiis (‘snake bush’) according to F.V. Hayden.
The Arapahos had several roots which could be used for snake medicine, to counteract snakebite, but their exact identity is unknown today.
Although no traditional name is known for the Rubber Boa, a modern word for ‘constrictor’ is heetneeto3oobenein (‘he will kill you by suffocating’) or heetnoninee’eihin (‘he will kill you by squeezing’ ).