I ran across and aggressive snake on our property, maybe a copperhead? I'll be next to useless in describing it, primarily because I'm color blind.

It was at the top of the hill that is our back yard, in the grass and sun. The property is bordered by woods and brush. Bigger around than the garter snakes we regularly see, maybe like a big toe or more and a foot or more long. A couple dark colors running lengthwise, not banded or blocky/camo looking markings. Google/YouTube show no examples marked like this.

It was laying there and twice struck aggressively at my walking stick. I moved away for a few seconds, went back, it was now coiled and struck again. I've not experienced a snake striking. The only live poisonous snake I've run across was a small rattler on Galveston Island many years ago.

I hustled down the hill to get the wife to identify the colors, get my camera and four pronged frog gig I have on a four or more foot stick. About a minute or more later the snake is gone.

I mentioned this to our vet later that day, her eyes widened and she said she's only seen rattlers or copperheads strike around here. We have both in this St.Louis area but quite rare. We've seen a lot of snakes this Spring.

A friend with much more experience than I said rattlers are shy and run, copperheads are aggressive.

So yeah, concerned, particularly with me mowing less often than I should in advancing age, "snake in the grass" takes on real meaning.

Any advice? You think this is a copperhead? Do they like the sun? More likely on the flat than the slope? Nesting in the surrounding woods, brush? Yikes!

Flat head and thick, but not all that long.

Rattlers would rather run.

quote:

Originally posted by Ripley:
It was laying there and twice struck aggressively at my walking stick.

Interesting. Were you poking at it with the stick, or was this unprovoked?

Without a photo, it is nearly impossible to know. Setting color aside, a copperheads markings look like a row of Hershey kisses running down his flanks. Their colors vary from brownish, to coppery, to a creamy reddish tan. They are lovely.

In my experience, which is less that Steve Irwin's, but more than many (as I spent my youth wandering around the woods in the South) copperheads are not particularly aggressive. They try go get away, and only strike if cornered or stepped on.

But you can't tell by behavior.

Copperheads are normally not aggressive at all unless you disturb them or accidentally step on one.
Many other snakes have similar colors and are killed when someone thinks they are killing a Copperhead. Copperheads have a distinctive pattern that has a black outline. They don't get over three fee and have a thick body. The young ones have a bright yellow tail.

Copperhead https://www.google.com/imgres?...mHA9wQMygAegUIARC6Ag

All snakes like the sun, but I have had experience with black rat snakes that will stand their ground and strike. Rattles have a distinctive tail, copperheads have a distinctive color (I know you said you were colorblind), but also have defined markings and an arrowhead shaped head, and typically do not coil to strike.

quote:

Any advice? You think this is a copperhead?

It could be. Don't provoke it with your walking stick. They can move pretty fast when pissed off. I've seen copperheads around here but I've never seen a rattlesnake around here. I've killed them with a long-handled shovel, cutting off the head. If you do that, don't touch the head. They've been known to bite, even after death.

FWIW: No snake is "aggressive", but nearly all will active defensively when they feel threatened (as was the case here). They don't lay in wait for people to attack and don't chase people for any distance longer than necessary for the snake to find a route of escape. Most of those bitten by venomous snakes are either struck because they accidentally stepped or put their hand(s)on them, with many victims having been trying to move, handle, or kill the "offender". With this in mind, if you observe them from a safe distance (the snake's body length or two is well beyond striking distance), you can watch them and photograph them undisturbed.

BTW: Although you didn't get a pic to share, you should know that there's quite a few non-venomous snakes that look similar to Copperheads and Water moccasins, but are harmless. Watersnakes are quite similar and found in the same environments.

Baby black snakes and copperheads would get into the pool and I would wrangle them out with a leaf skimmer. Black snakes would be placed under the bushes and let go, dispatched the copperheads.
One time I decided to mess with the baby before I killed it and used and long stick to provoke it. What you see on TV is nothing compared to seeing it live when it strikes. Glad you were ok. Smart using the walking stick.

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:

quote:

Originally posted by Ripley:
It was laying there and twice struck aggressively at my walking stick.

Interesting. Were you poking at it with the stick, or was this unprovoked?

Not really poking. As it lay there, I touched it lightly on its side. It jerked its head around and struck and struck again with the stick now in front of it. When I came back shortly later and it was coiled, it struck at the stick in front of it.

Impossible to tell what kind of snake it was without pictures but if you leave the snake alone, don't poke at it with your walking stick, the snake will leave you alone. All snakes are cold blooded and all of them will seek out a sunny spot to warm themselves up.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: calugo,

quote:

Originally posted by Ripley:

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
Were you poking at it with the stick, or was this unprovoked?

Not really poking. As it lay there, I touched it lightly on its side.

That's rather a distinction without a difference.

quote:

Originally posted by Ripley:

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:

quote:

Originally posted by Ripley:
It was laying there and twice struck aggressively at my walking stick.

Interesting. Were you poking at it with the stick, or was this unprovoked?

Not really poking. As it lay there, I touched it lightly on its side. It jerked its head around and struck and struck again with the stick now in front of it. When I came back shortly later and it was coiled, it struck at the stick in front of it.

Snakes aren't like dogs that don't mind being touched, when you touched the snake with your stick the snake perceived that as a threat and responded accordingly. Wild animals don't want you touching them and just like you wouldn't touch a grizzily bear with a stick show the same respect for the snake by not touching it either.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: calugo,

I went to a venomous snake training course last weekend. We all got to catch a Rattler a few times after practicing with an even more pissed off Rat Snake. Venomous snakes are not aggressive toward humans. They know they can't eat us and they don't want to waste the venom, which could cause them to miss out on the next real prey to cross their paths. When you only get a few meals per year, you want to conserve your venom for those meals. N. American pit vipers can't strike more than 1/3 of their body length. So if a Copperhead maxes out at 3', you are very safe at 2' or more away. Give him an escape route.

most people can't correctly identify a copperhead even with a clear picture. fact is, there are many snakes that look "kinda" like them, and most people will see a water snake and swear it is a copperhead.

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:
Impossible to tell what kind of snake it was without pictures but if you leave the snake alone, don't poke at it with your walking stick, the snake will leave you alone. All snakes are warm blooded and all of them will seek out a sunny spot to warm themselves up.

reptiles are cold-blooded. just fyi, as your description is correct... they seek out warm temps/sunny spots because they cannot produce their own warmth.

Their color pattern only matters with regard to a Coral Snake (Red and black, poison lack, red and yellow, poison fellow.), because they are not pit vipers and you can't ID them by the shape of their head. All other venomous snakes in N. America you really should be able to ID by the shape of the head. You can be totally color blind and still make out a pit viper's head.

Time for a set of snake guards, especially when mowing!

As I noted, no pix of copperheads are very close to what I saw. Since we have regular garter snakes, pix of those consistently show striping running the length of the body like the one I saw. Garters can have the blocky patterning regularly too but I saw a few pix of Garters that seem dark and just a couple colors -- body and striping.

Hearing that any snake could strike when provoked is good news, unlike what my vet mentioned. I've never had one strike before but I've always let them go their own way.

I'm not letting my guard down but feeling much less concerned. Thanks, Hive!

Solid responses here.

Most snakes like sun.

No snakes are aggressive towards humans, with the exception of cottonmouths IMO. Them bastards will chase you, and are down right mean. Its a whole different pucker feel when you are sprinting away from a pissed off cotton mouth. They get thick too.

Best way to know a copperhead is by the shape of the head as stated here. Rattlers, cottonmouths all the same. Their head is almost like a fist. When they get big, their body is like an arm and their head like a fist. It stops you in nature and it is ominous.

The most aggressive snakes I've seen were rat/corn snakes. Lightning fast too. But they don't have that fist or arrowhead shaped head.

Can be difficult to tell with color because they can be bright all the way to really dull or dark. And easily mistaken for a water snake. I always go to color after I make sure the head isn't a fist shape. Even babys you can make it out.

And 100% if you give em an out they'll take it. Don't mess with em and they are peaceful. I love rattlers, because they let you know they are there. Then you stop and they boogie. It's a good compromise if respected. Dam cottonmouth will zip through the water right at you.