The Brief: Suspicious snake memes use images of a green snake to convey a sense of suspici0n or skepticism.

Bluesquiggle
DEEP DIVE

Suspicious snake or skeptical snake memes are an image macro format consisting of two pictures of a green snake. The first picture shows the snake lifting its body up high and the second image is a closeup of the snake, whose expression resembles one of suspicion or skepticism. It’s difficult not to anthropomorphize this snake, whose pursed mouth and squint make it appear to be thinking “hmmmm” or “interesssssting.”

Suspicious green snake memes usually depict a scenario in which someone expresses their somewhat smug skepticism. These memes often show an authority figure such as a Karen attempting to assign blame to someone or something.

The earliest known memefication of this image took place when a Redditor posted it to the Joe Rogan subreddit with the caption “skeptical snake.” A watermark indicates that it was photographed by Jonathan Hakim in 2012.

Skeptical Snake from JoeRogan

In early October 2019, the two-panel version of the suspicious green snake meme started circulating on various Reddit meme pages.

Me, an intelectual from dankmemes

On adults blaming video games for everything:

Video games from memes

From the “Dank Christian Memes” page:

“These Millenniums.” from dankchristianmemes

An adamant anti-vaxxer:

Sorry this isn’t spooky from memes

This skeptical snake format is reminiscent of the Coincidence?! I Think Not! format.