As Spring is here, and given the increasing number of warm days that we’re finally starting to experience, snakes will become more commonly seen. It’s helpful to know your venomous and non-venomous varieties. The photo below is of a Copperhead, one of the so-called “pit vipers”, and I took this in Autumn 2012 in Eastern KY. This is, by far, the most frequently encountered venomous snake in Southern IN and across N.C. KY. Harmless snakes are often confused for “coppers” and needlessly killed. Coppers themselves are slow and retiring snakes, with often indifferent dispositions. If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. They are sometimes stunningly beautiful snakes and should not be killed. They only occasionally pop up around residential areas in our locale, and are far more often encountered in rural, remote, and sparsely populated areas, especially steep hills and bluffs. They feed upon small lizards, rodents, and cicadas, but are more or less opportunistic feeders. If you see one, and are concerned about it being in your area, you can shoot me a message and I will try to come safely remove it or contact someone near you who can—PLEASE don’t kill it. These snakes are valuable to our ecosystem, and are a very minimal threat to people. (As you can see, they are masters at blending in to their environment, which CAN make them a threat to hikers--my daughter had a specimen literally slither across her foot last Summer while hiking in Floyd County. So watch your step!) Even in cases of envenomation, fatalities are veritably unknown to occur—this is not a potent species on the level of Timber Rattlesnakes(also in our locale) or Cottonmouths (which occur considerably west of us). But nevertheless, if you come across one, keep a reasonable distance—they will not attack or “chase” you, but they might bite if provoked, and a bite is a very painful experience that can take some time to fully recover from. This is not a snake known to occur in more northern parts of Indiana, where the pit viper there is the Massasauga.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 14:31:54 +0000
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