Snake in the Oval Office, attracted by all the gold?
When considering why this snake would appear on the president’s desk in the Oval Office, I concluded that it might be all the gold there that attracted it.
I asked Claude whether snakes are attracted to gold, the color or the metal. Claude replied:
No, snakes are not attracted to gold in either form.
Snakes lack the visual systems and cognitive processing to be drawn to specific colors like gold. Their color vision varies by species, but they don’t show preference for shiny or yellow objects.
They’re also not attracted to the metal itself. Snakes respond primarily to heat signatures (via infrared sensing in some species), chemical cues, and vibrations when hunting or navigating. Gold has no special thermal, chemical, or vibrational properties that would interest them.
The myth likely stems from old tales of snakes guarding treasure, which were metaphorical or served storytelling purposes rather than reflecting snake behavior.
I didn’t know that mythical snakes were said to guard treasures.
I do know a famous biblical story about snakes, a devilish snake that appears in a perfect setting and ruins everything.
As for storytelling, I am as capable of telling/making up stories as the ancients. In this case, there is a snake in the Oval Office, presumably attracted to all the gold that the president has kept adding to it.
President, Oval Office, gold, snakes. Pretty good story.
© 2025 Bob Schwartz
Bob Schwartz 