KERNERSVILLE, NC (WFMY) -- The Copperhead snake is the most prevalent venomous snake in North Carolina according to Herpetologist Chad Griffin of the Kernersville Reptile Center & Zoo.
Copperhead snake season is in full swing. It lasts from approximately May until November.
Griffin said the Copperhead snake is dangerous, but not deadly.
"Copperheads can be dangerous they're not necessarily life threatening but they're dangerous, they can hurt a human being. Venom is a protein it’s not a poison."
Griffin said because venom is a protein, everyone has a different medical reaction to its bite. Either way, he said go to the hospital immediately if you’re attacked by a Copperhead.
Do not provoke this type of snake. Griffin said the Copperhead will only bite for two reasons: fear or food. Fight the urge to take a picture of a Copperhead if you spot one in the Triad because it might bite you to protect itself.
“It’s not like a Rattlesnake it doesn’t have a rattle,” Griffin said. “It’s not a Cobra it can’t hood up, it can’t give you an early warning it’s just there and then all of the sudden you stepped on it or you stepped close to it and it bit, it does it out of fear,” Griffin said.
Griffin said Copperhead snakes do not like extreme heat, so you’ll most likely catch them at night in the summer.
Griffin said the number of calls he’s received about Copperhead sightings is low compared to last year at this same time. He believes people often confuse the Copperhead for various harmless snakes, but Copperhead’s have distinctive features. They have Hershey Kiss-shaped markings on their scales and two prominent black dots above their eyes.
Be careful when walking outside this Copperhead season! The snakes like any & all kinds of clutter such as wood pilings and trash. Be sure to clean your yards to avoid a run-in.
► Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WFMY News 2 App: Apple Users, Android Users