High-speed cameras have finally debunked a long-held myth: That venomous vipers such as rattlesnakes have much faster strikes than nonvenomous snakes.

In some cases, harmless snakes actually have speedier strikes.

“If you put me up against a wall, shined a bright light in my eyes, and asked me if large-bodied vipers had faster strikes, I’d say, ‘Yeah, they probably do,’” says Rick Shine of Australia’s University of Sydney, who wasn’t involved with the research. “I was the victim of a very common misconception.”