Joint snake

The joint snake is a legendary creature from Southern U.S. folklore, with tales of it likely spreading to other regions as well. According to the myth, this snake can break itself—or be cut—into multiple pieces, only to miraculously reassemble. In some versions of the story, if a piece of the snake is removed and replaced with the pocket knife used to cut it, the knife itself will become part of the reformed snake.

Old travelers' accounts describe the joint snake as having skin as hard as parchment and smooth as glass. Its body was said to be so rigid it could barely bend. When struck, it would allegedly shatter into small segments, sometimes less than an inch long, without shedding any blood.

While these stories are fascinating, the myth likely stems from mistaken identity. No known snake can survive being broken into pieces or magically reconnect its body. However, certain lizards come close to fitting the description. Some legless lizards—often called "glass snakes" or "joint snakes"—resemble snakes but are actually reptiles with a key difference: they can shed and regenerate their tails. When threatened, they drop their fragile tails, which easily break into segments, distracting predators while the lizard escapes. Over time, the tail grows back—not through reassembly of old parts but by growing a new one entirely.

These legless lizards are nonvenomous and are found throughout the Southern United States, from southern Virginia to Texas, and as far north as Wisconsin and Iowa in the Midwest. They tend to inhabit open fields, dry areas, and sandy terrain, which may have contributed to their frequent encounters with people and their association with this enduring Southern myth.