MARYLAND – Baby Copperhead season is underway in Maryland, and many people are posting pictures and warnings on Facebook.
Baby Copperheads have bright yellow tails and are born with a full load of venom. Experts say their bites aren’t usually fatal, but they are aggressive, and they cause a lot of pain and a lot of tissue damage.
The LaPlata Police Department posted a warning on Facebook, informing people that Copperheads like to hide under things, especially during the day. They urged people to be careful when weeding. Animal Control experts also warn folks to watch around toys, dog bowls and flower pots as copperheads like damp areas.
Experts say if you detect the scent of cucumbers in your backyard, it may indicate the presence of a copperhead snake, and you should call a professional to relocate it.
Baby Copperhead season runs through November.
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As in all other dangers in Maryland, you as a landowner and citizen are only allowed to be a victim. So if you spot one, don’t kill it (against the law), just call someone to remove it, wait a day or two while the snake finds another hiding spot, and when the snake charmer shows up, hope they can locate it, it’s mate and the young ones. No more problems.
I would disagree that Copperheads are aggressive… If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. The only time they will bite is if you accidently come across them or if you try to mess with them.
The mischaracterization of copperheads as an “aggressive” species perpetuates needless fearmongering and potential violence against snakes. Copperheads are not an aggressive species and only bite, rarely, as a last defense if people or pets do not leave them alone. Far more often, they will attempt to flee or simply freeze still and rely on their camouflage as a defense mechanism. Whoever wrote this article obviously has little to no experience with them. Reference the study linked here: https://www.susquehannockwildlife.org/research/copperhead/
Most people can’t properly identify a snake of any kind, and perpetuating this inaccurate notion that snakes are going to hurt residents is only going to end up getting lots of non-venomous snakes killed for no reason. It is worth noting that all twenty-seven species of snake in Maryland are protected by law, including our two venomous species, and that they all do a terrific job of removing ticks and other vectors of pathogens from the ecosystem by consuming rodents and other pest species.
“including our two venomous species”?
The hospital in La Plata has treated two different types of venomous snake bites (confirmed, as the snakes were taken in with the victims) for both a copperhead bite and a cottonmouth moccasin bite. We do hear that there are timber rattlers further upstate. That would be three?