This summer has been warm and wet. There are high populations of rodents. All these things snakes enjoy.

Luckily we only have two species of venomous snakes that we see locally; the timber rattler and the copperhead. Each year we hear from many residents who have reported seeing copperheads. Where timber rattlers tend to be shy and avoid areas where people are active, copperheads will go where they wish.

Copperheads

It is not unusual to run into a copperhead when hiking trails in moist woods. Gardeners run into them while weeding. Sometimes people find the snakes in their garage.

They key to fewer interactions with copperheads is avoiding them. Copperheads love water. Be especially vigilant when hiking in moist woodlands near creeks in the heat of the summer. Do not stick your hands anywhere that you are not sure is snake free. Wear high boots and avoid sandals when hiking or gardening. Keep garage, porch, and basement doors closed.

Timber Rattlers

Timber rattlers are not uncommon in the hilly rocky areas of our county. In fact we had client who found four in his yard this summer. However he does lives way out in the deep woods. You likely won't see these in a subdivision in or near town. If you do run across one of these guys, do not mess with them. They are not aggressive and there is no reason to kill them. If you let them be they will slither off to get away from you. In fact, killing a rattle snake may be illegal according to this post from the NC Wildlife Division: