Just come from walking my dog and an area kid captured a docile snake and was considering making a pet of it. As the kids where handling the snake near walking path. I happened upon them and looked at the snake and I told them in calm voice place the snake on the ground so I could get a better look at the snake. Once the snake was on the ground I told the kids to step back. That's when I informed the kids the snake was not a Corn Snake as they thought but actually a Copperhead. The kids didn't believe me until I got them to let me get the snake back into their pickle jug. I told them to let's get your parents involved and to look it up on the internet. Now their parents and several neighbors are interested in the snake identification and two neighbors concluded what I was saying accurate, several others had their own ideals. So as we looked the snake up on a Lap top. Can you tell which is which without looking it up on the internet? Copperhead, Milk Snake, and a Corn Snake. After drawing a solid conclusion the Copperhead was released. One person in the crowd eventually told me to mind my own business. I in returned told him that's a double edge sword jackass.
Snake #2 is a copper head. You can tell by the fat triangular head. They are pit vipers thus the shape of the head. I have seen copperheads in a variety of colors from very dark to very light. The pattern tends to be less broken like the other snakes. Copper head bites are bad, not deadly in most cases, but very painful and you could lose a finger or toe over it. I see copper heads almost weekly here at my house. They don't tend to be aggressive, but picking one up is a great way to get bit.
My thoughts exactly. Most venomous snakes are aggressive, but this is a first for me to see one not highly aggressive at all. One thing about venomous snakes here in North America all of their bites are very painful vs those of Australia and Indonesia, the once a person is bitten the symptoms start out as mild to bad headaches. By this time it's usually to late. In India one snake claim as many as 30,000 people live annually.
Copperheads are beautiful snakes I see at least one a week around our place. Just get out of their way an let them go on. No way I'm ever picking one up though.
The copperhead has the classic arrowhead shape of the head that most venomous American snakes have. The coral snake is different in that respect, as is the african cobra and the south pacific sea snake. Nice photo comparison, thanks. I have only ever seen one copperhead. It was in Virginia not far from the Patomac. Also saw a black cottonmouth water moccasin there. Out here in the Far West you would not see them. We more commonly have king snakes and rattlesnakes.
Why you're just continually saving the world from snakes and all sorts of happenings. You've had more snake cases in a week than most of us have in a year....or lifetime. LOL
It's easy because the photos are labelled corn, copperhead, milk snakes in that order. Venomous snakes have diamond shape heads so you can tell the copperhead is the 2nd photo also.
Same here and that is why I shoot first and identify what kind of snake it was later. I have a hard time believing that kids were playing with a copper head and didn't get bit. I guess weirder things have happened, but they can be pretty pissy down in Texas when messed with.
North america has four species of venomous snakes....3 of the 4 are pit vipers with the triangular shaped heads however the fourth Type being the coral snake doesn't have the same shaped head. There are three subspecies of coral snakes, eastern, western and Texas ..... Coral snakes are often mistaken for king snakes......so the head shape isn't definitive in determining if a snake is venous
the copper snake is in the middle you can tell by the shape of the head. but you can also tell by the tag in the lower right hand corner of the pix too lol
Lord only Knows. Far as saving snakes many of my neighbors have 3 to 4 type of bird feeders. Which not only attract birds they also attract chipmunks, squirrels, and field mice. This in return attract the snakes. Many of which are black snakes and now some Copperheads. So what they do when they see the snakes they get shovels, garden hoe's and axes and chopped them to death. so I've told HOA (Home Owner Association) President to contact me and I will remove the snake for them if I'm available. Far as walking into the kids it's I seen them looking at something near the big boulders. I was kind of interested in what they where looking at so moment of investigative synergy got the best of me. One thing for sure I've caught plenty of snakes as a youth and some big rattle snakes when I live in Florida, I've never had a venomous snake when crossing it's path not to be aggressive. Either they played it out or the snake was 1 in a million. I and their family thank God for that. Far as the people here reducing the snake population I've suggested getting rid of the seed bird feeders, and put more Humming Bird Feeders out. They refuse that and said they will continue to kill them when they cross their path or found on their property. several of them have removed their mulch flower beds and put out river bed rocks. So it's only a matter of time before Rattle snakes take up residence and one of those neighbors that insist killing them is bitten. And many of my neighbors are to old to survive the a bite from a Rattle Snake or a Copper head.
Here are some pics of the area where they said they found the snake....Many other snakes have been seen these areas. Just give it time before someone find a Rattler.
Those kids were really lucky. That's why I teach my kids about the snakes we have here. So they can id them. And I always tell them if ther are not sure treat it like a poisionus snake ans keep away!!
I just shoot first and ask questions later. Our local paper had a picture of a rattlesnake found by a kids swing set. The 4 year old went out to play and wait on some friends to come by. He spotted the snake and evidently told Mommy. I've lived here all my childhood and hunted here all my life. Never ran across so much as a copperhead where I lived. There are 2 places in upstate NY that have these swamp raattlers. This kids home borders one of those swamps. They're a protected reptile. Yeah... right... I find one in my kids swingset he's a dead protected reptile.
I don't care to play with snakes whether I know they are venomous or not. When I was a teenager, I was riding my four wheeler on my parents' land with my dog Sandy following right behind me. I came across a big yellow rattler in the path....afraid that my dog would get bitten, I drove over it and hit the brakes and locked them down. Ran to my dad's garden, got the hoe, and made took care of business. Nowadays, I try not to kill any snakes. I leave them to their business. Might be a different story if I found a rattler or copperhead in my yard.
I enjoyed this post. I caught a small bull snake a couple years ago in our swimming pool skimmer and sent it to school for my son's science lab teacher as they are fairly uncommon. (It was pre-arranged with her) He went straight to the office as instructed before school and gave it to the office administrator who decided to open the rubbermaid container to take a look and the snake and another green snake escaped in the office. Someone then thought it was a copperhead instead of a bull snake and all, well you know, broke loose. When I got to school that afternoon, the principal was waiting on me. Zach was pretty popular with everyone for a few weeks. Anyway, the snake was recaptured safely after about an hour and is doing fine in the science lab at about 3 1/2 feet long now.
