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Copperheads Can Be Found In The Mid-Atlantic. Here Are Some Things To Know.
Copperheads are most likely to be found in yards near wooded areas. However, they can also be found in suburban and urban areas.
The temperatures are rising, and snakes are everywhere. The copperhead, a venomous snake, is well-hidden in gardens and yards.
Copperheads were named for the color of the head. However, the rest of the body is tan and brown with hourglass patterns. This provides excellent camouflage when mulching, leaves, and stonework are used.
It is difficult to spot the ambush hunter walking through the yard or working around the garden. If you approach too closely, the snake may feel threatened and strike at will.
They often require medical attention and sometimes antivenom treatment.
Copperheads in your backyard
Copperheads are found in many parts of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Still, climate models indicate that increasing global temperatures could push populations further north than Michigan and New England by 2050.
“Most people don’t tolerate snakes and will kill them, regardless of whether they are venomous. Copperheads can survive in urban areas if they are left alone. J.D. Kleopfer is a Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources herpetologist who wrote to The Washington Post.
Copperheads are most likely to be found in yards near wooded areas. However, copperheads can thrive in urban and suburban settings, so taking care when walking outside or working outdoors is essential.
Copperheads mate in spring (April through June) and give birth in the late summer. Fall mating can also occur, most often in September.
Copperheads give birth to young copperheads, and their babies are born with bright yellow tail tips. Their yellow tails are thought to attract small snake prey. Because of their small size, baby copperheads are easy to spot and can envenomate.
Contrary to popular belief, babies can control the amount of venom they release. Their bites are less severe because they have less venom than adults,” Spencer Greene, Texas director of toxicology at HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood. A taste from pit vipers of any age can be severe, mild, or moderate.
If you see a copperhead, do not try to kill it. You increase the chance of getting bitten if you try to kill it.
K2C Wildlife Encounters is Mark Khosravi’s team. They capture and relocate troublesome wildlife close to homes and businesses. The team has relocated over 50 copperheads from Northern Virginia since 2021. Relocations are usually less than one mile away from where they were captured in similar habitats but not close to homes or businesses.
Sometimes, copperheads can be so hidden that professionals sometimes have difficulty finding them.
“As a professional, you are expected to spot copperheads immediately. I won’t say I saw the snake, but I will tell people I did. I then follow the directions they point to. This is how you get bit. Khosravi stated, “So I let my ego go and took my time. I always assume that there may be more than one.”
Treating copperhead bites
Greene, an emergency physician, treated more than 70 victims of copperhead bites last year. He anticipates that this number will rise in the coming year.
Greene stated that antivenom should be used to treat almost all envenomations. “Unfortunately, physicians don’t know enough about snakebites to minimize the dangers of copperheads,” Greene said.
Greene stated that an average copperhead victim receives six to ten vials each of antivenom. However, treatments can vary depending on the bite.
A bite left untreated can lead to severe problems.
Greene met a triathlete who was in her 30s and had received a copperhead bite to the foot. She was not given antivenom, and Greene did not see her until it was too late.
She can’t stand for very long without feeling pain or swelling. She cannot run and is unable to compete. Greene explained to The Post that her bite mismanagement had severely affected her life.
Steps after a copperhead bite
Greene provided steps to follow following a snake bite.
- As soon as possible, arrange to be taken to the hospital. This could mean calling a friend or 911. Call 911 immediately, and don’t drive if you have severe symptoms.
- Take off any jewelry or clothing that is restrictive.
- The affected extremity should be elevated. Keep the affected extremity at heart level.
- If you can safely take a photograph of the snake, You should not bring the snake alive or dead. Even if the snake is slow, it can still be envenomated.
- You should not use tourniquets, lymphatic bandages, pressure immobilization or cut and suck, extraction devices or electrical stimulation to pack the extremity with ice.
Copperhead dangers near your home can be minimized
Snakes are attracted to areas that provide shelter, food, and water. Kimberly Wyatt is an assistant professor of biology at Good Samaritan College, Ohio. Here are some ways to make your property less attractive to copperheads.
Keep your yard neat by trimming the grass, clearing out any excess vegetation, and picking up any objects (including toys) that might provide cover.
Place woodpiles at the far side of your yard. Keep shrubbery trimmed. Snake bites are most common when people don’t see the snake. Pay attention to where you are going when you work in your yard.
Remove or relocate bird feeders to prevent rodents from eating copperheads’ food.
Reduce standing water and minimize excessive watering.
Don’t try to kill a copperhead if you spot it. You are more likely to be bitten if you try to kill a snake. Spraying a garden hose at the snake will encourage it to flee.
When outside, keep an eye out for copperheads. They will only leave you alone if you respect their space. Copperheads aren’t aggressive snakes.
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