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What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by filthy on February 2, 2001
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I don't wanna be bitten by any of 'em......
Good aritcle, and pretty much confirms what I've always thought. Coppers in the field can be snappy. But I'm always slightly supprised to hear of a Timber bite. These tend to be very mild tempered and I've never recieved a defensive strike from one (never stepped on one, though). I've found Canebrakes to be a little higher strung and Cottons exactly as described.
f
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by CASCABELLADONNA on February 2, 2001
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I AGREE WITH FILTHY IN THAT I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE BITTEN BY ANY OF THEM---HAVING SAID THAT I HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF COPPERS==I TRULY ADORE THIS SNAKE AND MY FINDINGS HAVE BEEN A TAD CONTRADICTORY TO THOSE DESCRIBED--I'VE ALWAYS FOUND COPPERS MILD-TEMPERED WHEN CONFRONTED. OF COURSE--THIS IS IN VIRGINIA AND COULD BE A TAD DIFFERENT.I ALSO HAVE FOUND A FEW COPPERHEADS IN TEXAS OF MILD TEMPERMENT AS WELL. COTTONS THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH HAVE BEEN PRETTY CHILLED OUT, AS DESCRIBED. TIMBERS HAVE BEEN THE SAME FOR ME--MELLOW. UNLIKE MOST OF THE OTHER CROTALID SPECIES I HAVE SEEN.........THANKS FOR THE ARTICLE:)
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What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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Anonymous post on February 5, 2001
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Interesting article although I have to disagree. I will say that my experience with Coppers is not as extensive as Whits' but my encounters have shown this snake to be mild and passive. I have even placed my hand on the body of a Copper approximately 1/3 of the way up fom the tail of what appeared to be approx. 18" length. This was on a June afternoon just after a rain storm where I had found the snake basking under a large rock. It's only reaction was a tounge flick and an attempt to escape. I was able to pick up the snake supporting it with a stick and gently manipulated it for a couple of minutes until I realized that it had a belly full (not sure if it had recently eaten or preg)
but even with my lack of expertise this snake was docile. Other not so dramatic encounters have shown this snake to be much less interested in me than my interest in it!!!
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RE: What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by snakenate on March 16, 2001
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I too find the coppers to be very mild tempered. With my inexperience I was able to pet a 2 foot female copper on the head. But I would agree to always be carefull no matter what kind of snake it is.
Thanks
Nayte
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RE: What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by Gypsy on April 7, 2001
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Hi Filthy,
I'm wondering if you're the same Filthy I knew working Carny in Texas in '82 or so..if you are,drop a reply here & I'll get in touch...
Gypsy
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RE: What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by Scooter on April 25, 2001
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I just recently caught a copperhead this past weekend,and I found it to be one of the most aggressive snakes I have ever come across.As soon as I got within striking distance it tried to bite me,and it continued striking until I got it in a box.One thing I noticed while I was catching the copper,Is that it was shaking its tail like a rattler as if it were trying to warn me.Now that I have it in a tank I have noticed it has calmed down alot and has not tried to strike me once after I fed it.I also have a NewMexican Coontail Rattler and I find it a pretty aggressive snake.I do agree with you though on the attitudes of the snakes you have listed, even though I have only acouple encounters with cottenmouths.Im from Dickson Tennessee and I see a good many of snakes through out the week they have a good habitat out there.Well thanks for all of your info, Scooter
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What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by lgrubb on July 13, 2001
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I think I was bitten by a copperhead yesterday and my experience mirrors exactly what Whit had to say. We were walking our dogs in a wooded area adjacent to our subdivision (live in North Texas). The dogs ran ahead up the trail (lots of leaf litter) and I was walking along when I felt a sharp pain in my heel. I picked my foot up to look at it and saw a single, bleeding puncture mark, at the same time that my mother yelled "snake!" I never saw it or heard it, but I FELT it. My heel/ankle swelled and turned red and two of the coag tests they ran were slightly outside of normal, but nothing concerning...just a heel that I can't put weight on for awhile. Anyway, mom's description of the snake matches a young copperhead (she said it was 18-20" and motled greyish) and your description of their behavior definitely matches. I can only guess if it was a copperhead, but the idea that they don't inject as much venom in a defensive bite supports the fact that my foot isn't more damaged (especially since the other fang must have contacted my shoe). Anyway, this site has been very educational...thanks for being a great resource!
PS - The hospital said they have seen several rat snake bites. I haven't found much info on them...could that be what got me?
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by Vishnu on July 15, 2001
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I am certainly pleased to see these articles. I have coppers and in captivity they are very doclie. Not to the point of making me do something stupid and play with them. One I have had for 19 years.This animal is beautiful and a wonderful hot to have. I have a 10 year old cane brake rattler that I got early in his life. I picked him up right after his birth. This one has been serious since then. He has never settled down and is very prone to bite even now. He starts rattling and assumes a S coil the second you get in range. Now I have another of the same species that is 5 years and a male,but is quiet and never assumes a S coil.I believe it is the personality of each snake. It is always a pleasure to have these magnificent animals around.
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What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by Sleazeweazel on July 20, 2001
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Whit: I have observed that some species have more stereotypical behaviors than others. Rat snakes for example can generally be held while they strike at everything other than the hand that holds them. This is a good trick for amazing the natives.
After 35 years of catching snakes in the SE, I have observed that Diamondbacks are predictable. They always bite. That is why the snake handling cults never made it into central Georgia.
Canebrakes (and timbers) are for the most part docile. That is why we have only comparatively recently learned how toxic their venom is. Bill Tudor found out the hard way. Anything that can kill him is truely deadly.
There is a wide range of variation in copperheads and moccasins. Most of both are generally docile, but some few are extremely hostile. The most aggressive snake I have evere encountered anywhere in the world was a small Bright brick red moccasin in Dixie County Florida in the California swamp. It was dusk, I would surely have stepped on it but for the fact that it began to violently strike when I was over thirty feet away, actually throwing its body off the ground in the process and landing forward of its original position.
This is the same behavior reported for Porthidium nummifer, the jumping tommygoff. I have found about ten, and all were docile with the spectacular exception of one that struck at the face of a poor Guatemalan as we climbed a cliff in Belize. The plucky fellow managed to chop it in half as he fell off the cliff, then he grabbed a vine to save his life. It was a fine moment.
Bothrops asper has a terrible reputation. I have found many, but have never found a nasty one. On the other hand, the death list his high, and one legged jungle explorers are common, so there must be something to it.
At the top of my list of venemous snake encounters is the time I once had a king cobra try to crawl across my lap as I sat on the edge of a cliff in Java. It's head was about 18" from my nose, it was alert and curious, investigating my toes, etc, but never became aggressive, even when I stood up. It merely retreated.
Most copperheads, especially northerns, are docile, but I just found one in Tennessee last month that was mean as hell!
I think the circumstance in which you encounter the animal is all imoportant. How warm is the snake? How exposed is it? Some snakes, such as the Bothrops only bite at night (if you are lucky!)
I take it you are lucky. I'm lucky too!
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What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by Morg43 on July 30, 2001
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I for one will take a rain check on which snake I want to take a hit from, however as a boy growing up in Missouri I found the copperheads to be the most aggressive, got to admit that big gaping white mouth of a mocasin is enough to give you chills. I really enjoyed the article and as a fairly new member I am enjoying this site tremendously.
Morg
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