WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS (N Carolina) 30 July 07 ECU grad brings snake savvy to Park, Berry enjoys herpetology (Kevin Scott Cutler)
Mike Berry doesn’t mind that the swampy areas of Goose Creek State Park harbor a variety of snakes.
In fact, that’s one of his favorite things about the park.
“If you want to go to a state park to find snakes, this is the park to go to,” said Berry, who is employed there as a seasonal assistant park ranger.
He said he’s been involved in amateur herpetology — the study of snakes, reptiles and amphibians — for about 20 years. His fascination with snakes began when he bought one as a pet.
“It sort of snowballed from there,” Berry said. “I would read anything related to reptiles I could. When you learn a little bit, then you’ve got to go out and find that critter.”
He spent several years running a bicycle and outdoor recreation business until the urge to return to school led him to East Carolina University, where he enrolled in the parks and recreation program. To finish his degree, he began an internship at Goose Creek and soon joined the staff. He helps rangers research and plan various educational programs offered by the park. The job allows him to continue his study of snakes indigenous to the Beaufort County area.
He also makes it a sort of mission to educate the public about the importance of snakes and some of the misconceptions about them.
For example, there is no such thing as a “poisonous” snake, according to Berry. The correct term is “venomous.”
“Poison is when you’ve gotten under the sink and swallowed Draino,” he said. “Venom is when you’ve been injected, like with a snake bite.”
Nonvenomous snakes found in this area include the black racer and the eastern king snake. The former is aptly named because of its speed, while the latter is one of the most beneficial snakes, according to Berry.
“The king snake is our best snake in my opinion. It’s the farmer’s friend,” he said. “It eats other snakes, and if it’s allowed to stay in a barn, it eats rats and mice. It has a really, really good reputation.”
With his local roots — he is the son of Jim and Betty Berry of Aurora — Berry is familiar with this area’s venomous snakes, as well.
“Of the venomous snakes in this region, the copperhead is the most common,” he said. “Its bite is very painful, but it isn’t as dangerous as some people think because it cannot inject enough venom to kill a healthy adult.”
Berry added that the copperhead’s bite could, however, prove deadly for an infant or for an elderly adult with health complications.
“Another venomous snake in this area is the cottonmouth moccasin,” Berry said. “We’re stepping away from the term ‘water moccasin’ because in some people’s mind every snake in the water is a water moccasin.”
According to Berry, the cottonmouth is easy to identify because of its defense mechanism — when it opens its mouth, the inside is as white as a cotton ball. A cottonmouth, Berry said, is also buoyant, almost like it’s wearing a life vest.
“A water snake can physically dive under the water, literally like a fish, but a cottonmouth cannot. It literally bobs on top of the water, but it can pull itself under roots and branches underwater,” Berry said.
Another venomous snake indigenous to Beaufort County is the timber rattler.
“The ones here in the eastern part of the state are larger, and they generally have a lighter coloration and a red, sort of dorsal stripe,” Berry said. “They are very dangerous and can inject enough venom to kill an adult.”
While deaths from a snake bite are extremely rare — the last known case in North Carolina was in the late 1970s — Berry said area residents should still know what to do should a bite occur.
“Don’t cut the wound, and don’t try to suck the venom out,” he warned. “Keep the bite elevated, level with the heart, and seek medical attention within 30 minutes. The venom will damage tissue, which could result in the loss of a thumb if that is where you are bitten.”
Berry also offered advice on how to avoid snakes that may be in the area.
“Snakes are shy, they like to stay hidden. It’s very rare to stumble upon one in the yard,” he said. “Keep shrubbery away from the foundation of your house. With an overgrown area, you’re just creating a really nice habitat for snakes. If you have multiple bird feeders, you are creating a little ecosystem in your backyard since snakes feed on the birds and mice drawn to the feeders.”
Berry advised that walking with a heavy footstep may also keep snakes at bay; because they have no ears they can’t hear, but they sense vibrations.
Berry’s interest in snakes extends beyond his professional life. He breeds them and currently has 23 in his Greenville home.
“It’s like a little zoo in my living room,” he said with a laugh. “I breed them and sell them, mostly to local pet shops. Plenty of people breed snakes, and capture-bred snakes make good pets. But they couldn’t survive if you put them in the wild.”
Berry’s collection could soon be growing. He estimated he has more than 60 eggs in an incubator. While the thought of so many snakes in one’s home — or even just one snake — would send most people running into the street, Berry said he isn’t worried.
“None of them are venomous, and I’m real good with my enclosures. I’ve never lost a snake in 20 years,” he said.
But how do guests in his home feel about the zoo-like atmosphere?
“I’ve gotten my girlfriend and her kids involved,” Berry said. “They’ve been very helpful, and they enjoy it.”
ECU grad brings snake savvy to Park