Side Note... If anyone lives in Mecklenburg Co. NC please correct me if I'm wrong- I know I saw few cottonmouths when I lived there-



From charlotte.com

8:17 am | Woman bitten by copperhead

STEVE LYTTLE

slyttle@charlotteobserver.com



A woman's experience Saturday night near the Ballantyne area is a reminder of yet another necessary caution at this time of year – copperheads.



Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say a 26-year-old woman was bitten about 9 p.m. Saturday by a copperhead on Rainbow Forest Drive, north of Ballantyne Commons Parkway.



The woman, who was not identified, was treated at an area hospital. Her wounds were described by police as not serious.



Wildlife experts say copperheads, the only poisonous snake found in Mecklenburg County, are unlike othyer North Carolina venomous snakes, because they will strike quickly when threatened.



Dr. Peter Bromley, a Zoology specialist with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, said copperheads are not aggressive snakes, but when they feel endangered, they will lash out. In comparison, rattlesnakes vibrate their rattles when cornered, and scientists say studies have shown that cottonmouth moccasins also tend not to attack quickly.



The good news is that copperhead bites "are typically not fatal," Bromley said.



Copperheads grow to be 24 to 36 inches long and have thick bodies. They have hourglass bands on their bodies.



Baby copperheads, which often are mistaken for rat, corn and water snakes, have yellowish tails. The other snakes do not.



Interestingly, North Carolina annually leads the nation in reports of poisonous snake bites.



The state has four types of venomous snakes:



COPPERHEADS, which are found across North Carolina.



RATTLESNAKES, found in the mountains and the eastern half of the state (as close to Charlotte as the Morrow Mountain area near Albemarle).



COTTONMOUTH MOCCASINS, in the southeastern part of the state (as close as Richmond County in North Carolina and Chesterfield County in South Carolina).



CORAL SNAKES, in the extreme southeast corner of the state. These are very rare.
-----
Bryan, Atlanta GA



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