“Bed” is the most widely used collective noun for snakes, and it describes exactly what it sounds like: multiple snakes resting together in one spot, often coiled loosely on top of or beside one another. It’s a fitting word for an animal that spends a large portion of its life doing very little, digesting, thermoregulating, or simply staying hidden from predators and prey alike.
Snakes don’t rest together out of social preference so much as shared necessity. A good resting spot, dry, sheltered, temperature-stable, is valuable, and several snakes will use the same crevice, log, or burrow without much interaction beyond tolerating each other’s presence. This kind of shared shelter becomes especially important during colder months, when snakes need to conserve body heat and safe overwintering spots are limited.
Because “bed” is such a general term, it applies across countless snake species, unlike some of the more specific collective nouns further down this list.
Example: “We lifted the tin roofing and found a bed of snakes soaking up the trapped heat underneath.”
Related: Collective Nouns for Reptiles · What Is a Group of Snakes Called?