"The snake changes its skin but not its n..." - Nigerian Proverb

“The snake changes its skin but not its nature.”

- Nigeriannature

Meaning

Superficial changes do not alter fundamental character.

Hausa observation of snakes shedding skin led to this insight about human nature. Outward transformation may hide unchanged inner character.

Origin

Nigerian

Language

Hausa

“The leopard's spots are not washed off by rain.”

Ghanaian

“A log may lie in the water for ten years, but it will never become a crocodile.”

Congolese

Explore more proverbs about nature