8 recommendations from experts for copperhead safety in North Carolina

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8 recommendations from experts for copperhead safety in North Carolina

Stories by News & Observer journalists, with AI summarization

Experts advise North Carolinians to watch where they step, especially in summer when copperheads are active. Knowing the copperhead’s appearance — usually brownish-gray with hourglass patterns — and being able to tell them apart from harmless snakes is crucial. Keeping yards clear of debris and using protective gear like gloves while gardening can reduce chance encounters; copperheads may take shelter under porches or near cicada hotspots.

If bitten, seek emergency care at hospitals with antivenom and call NC Poison Control if symptoms are mild. For hikers, planning ahead by alerting others to your route and carrying a satellite phone in remote areas helps ensure rapid response in case of emergencies.

A Copperhead snake on the Walnut Creek Greenway in Raleigh.

NO. 1: HOW DO YOU TREAT A COPPERHEAD SNAKE BITE? DUKE AND WAKEMED DOCTORS WALK US THROUGH

Always seek medical treatment, but antivenom is not always necessary, doctors say. Here’s why. | Published May 8, 2023 |

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Mecklenburg County is asking Charlotte residents to stop placing mothballs along trails and in nature preserves because it’s ineffective in deterring snakes, including the venomous copperhead.

NO. 2: WHAT IF A COPPERHEAD BITES YOU AND YOU DON’T HAVE CELL SERVICE IN NC? HERE’S WHAT TO DO

We talked to the medical director of NC Poison Control for his advice. Screenshot this story so you have it on your phone in an emergency. | Published June 15, 2023 |

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Copperheads are a venomous snake found in Ohio.

NO. 3: WHY COPPERHEAD SNAKES LIKE COMING ONTO OUR FRONT PORCHES — AND HOW TO KEEP THEM AWAY

Copperheads are NC’s most common venomous snake, and sometimes they come a little too close to our front doors. | Published July 18, 2023 |

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A copperhead snake looks up at the Nature Museum in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010. By AP Photo/Chuck Burton

NO. 4: TIPS TO TREAT BITES AND AVOID ENCOUNTERS WITH COPPERHEADS, OTHER SNAKES IN NORTH CAROLINA

“Identifying snakes can be tricky, and mistaking a non-venomous snake for a venomous one is common.” | Published March 14, 2024 |

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Unlike some cicadas which are annual, periodical cicadas emerge only once every 17 years for a few weeks to mate and then bury themselves back in the ground. By CHUCK KENNEDY

NO. 5: COULD NC’S CICADA SEASON MAKE US SEE MORE COPPERHEADS? HERE’S WHAT WILDLIFE EXPERTS SAY

The hiss of cicadas is the copperhead’s dinner bell. | Published May 7, 2024 |

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This large copperhead snake was spotted by Theresa Westerman in her backyard.

NO. 6: STAY SAFE IN YOUR NC BACKYARD: KEEP COPPERHEADS & OTHER SNAKES OUT WITH THESE EXPERT TIPS

Here’s what a wildlife biologist says you should do in your backyard to deter snakes (and nudge them out when you see one). | Published May 9, 2024 |

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Mark Danaher an Ecologist with International Paper holds a glass lizard he found in the Bear Garden tract of 14,391 acres that The Nature Conservancy acquired in a deal with International Paper as part of an acquisition of 38,320 acres in eastern North Carolina. By Robert Willett

NO. 7: IS THAT A SNAKE OR ONE OF NC’S THREE LEGLESS LIZARDS? HERE’S HOW TO TELL

Glass (legless) lizards look remarkably snake-like. We talked to wildlife experts to find out how to tell the difference. | Published May 20, 2024 |

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A copperhead snake looks up at the Nature Museum in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010. By AP Photo/Chuck Burton

NO. 8: NC’S COPPERHEAD SEASON IS HERE. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE COMMON VENOMOUS SNAKE

Copperheads are the only venomous snake you’re likely to encounter in the Triangle and central NC. Here’s how to identify and avoid them. | Published April 7, 2025 |

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The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

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#recommendations #experts #copperhead #safety #North #Carolina

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