Venomous Snakes Of NC

[davekay1971]

Between the snake pictures and the giant spider picture, Mrs. davekay1971 is never ever coming back to DBR ever again.

[Devilwin]

Good call on moth. That's exactly what it is. As young, it's a black type of woolly worm.

[jacone21]

It is not surprising that no one has mentioned the most deadly NC snake. The dreaded Hoop snake of the Appalachian mountains.

It is very aggressive, and chases down it’s prey (usually human) by getting its tail in its mouth to form a hoop (hence the name Hoop snake). It then rolls down the hill to strike the fleeing victim from behind. Paralysis and death is instant, causing the victim to die standing upright. The Hoop snake is also cunning, in that it will straighten out and actually prop up the victim for extended periods, hoping to lure other curious humans into the area in order to attack them. Whole families have been slaughtered this way on mountain farms.

Very few people have witnessed an attack and survived, which is why hardly anyone knows about the Hoop snake. But my Grandpa said he knew one surviving witness, who promptly moved to Coastal NC, where there are no hills for the snake to use for gathering it’s speed.

Be careful up there folks.

Down here in the flatwoods those things can't keep any momentum. Very easy to outrun.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Found this guy at the Museum Of Life And Science today. 15' away from a "watch for snakes" sign.

I was more walking and playing with my camera, though, and literally almost stepped on it. Once I regathered my composure, I encouraged it off the path before kids came running by.

He was not very happy with my encouragement, and swung into his strike pose a couple times to let me know of his displeasure, but the stick I was using to push him along was longer than his reach.

Copperhead.jpg

Copperhead2.jpg

[camion]

Found this guy at the Museum Of Life And Science today. 15' away from a "watch for snakes" sign.

I was more walking and playing with my camera, though, and literally almost stepped on it. Once I regathered my composure, I encouraged it off the path before kids came running by.

He was not very happy with my encouragement, and swung into his strike pose a couple times to let me know of his displeasure, but the stick I was using to push him along was longer than his reach.

Copperhead.jpg

Copperhead2.jpg

The camouflage doesn’t work well on the road surface. Very effective in leaf litter.

[CameronBornAndBred]

The camouflage doesn’t work well on the road surface. Very effective in leaf litter.

Yep. I forgot to mention that was the point of the two photos. Ironically, when I almost stepped on him he was plain as day. (Which did thankfully save me my last step.)

The second photo shows how well they can about become invisible in their natural habitat of a leaf strewn forest floor.

[bundabergdevil]

That is a snake to watch for, too!

[aimo]

The camouflage doesn’t work well on the road surface. Very effective in leaf litter.

Several years ago, I very nearly stepped on a copperhead on the cross-country trail (Al Buehler trail) on campus. Saw it at the last second and stepped back. Always on alert there.

[bundabergdevil]

Several years ago, I very nearly stepped on a copperhead on the cross-country trail (Al Buehler trail) on campus. Saw it at the last second and stepped back. Always on alert there.

Nearly put my hand on a baby rattler rock climbing as a kid in California. As an adult, stepped over a fur-de-lance in Peru without it doing anything or me noticing.

[wavedukefan70s]

Yeah you probably won't see a cotton mouth away from the coastal plains and even then not often in populated areas. They are plentiful in the low country swamps of SC but I've never seen one in lakes, rivers and creeks where people usually swim. My house is on a private neighborhood lake and I killed 5 or 6 brown water snakes before I learned to recognize a cottonmouth. The faded bands of a cotton mouth go all the way around the the snake but the brown water snake has a pattern of disconnected markings. Both are pit vipers with triangular heads but a cotton mouth's head is huge even compared to its fat body. It's unmistakable once you see one. Drop by the Francis Biedler swamp for a tour to see a bunch of swamp snakes safely from a raised walkway.

I spend a lot of time trail-building in the woods and paddling low country waterways. I came across 2 cain break rattlers one day I was with a lawyer friend of mine so lawyer jokes ensued about attracting "other" snakes. I came across an almost 5 ft timber rattler sunning on a rock face in Stone Mt State Park near Roaring Gap. He was blocking the trail and in no hurry to vacate so we exercised extreme patience. Copperheads are ubiquitous here and I've killed many in the woods, yards and streets of our neighborhoods. Seems like someone I know gets bit by one every year from walking bare foot or sticking their hand in some leaf debris, wood pile or pile of bricks. Considering how common it is for people and pets to suffer copperhead bites I'm amazed that the anti-venom dose costs $70 - $80K and the total hospital stay is over $100K each time. Apparently only 1 company produces anti-venom these days.

Have you used the kayak launch at bacons bridge on the ashley ?nice set up.
Ironically on the other side of the bridge un the early 80s a kid got bit multiple tines by a cotton mouth.
Unfortunately he didnt survive .

We wouldnt fish there till the next summer. Really shook us up.
Especially since we swam there also .

Older brothers would throw us off the bridge . Hardcore swimming lessons .

Also got bitten by a copper head near there .it hurt didnt get sick .
Had a small puncture wound .
Killed snake brought it to trident med in a doritos bag.
The dictor had assuned i didnt get much if any venom.
As a 12 yr old i thought i was a dead man .scared me good.

[lotusland]

We had a neighborhood launch not far down river so I never used that launch but paddled past there numerous times. Haven’t done any swimming in the Ashley. Too much pluff mud getting in and out. I like the out and back paddling on the tidal rivers but you can’t beat the Edisto’s sandy bottom for low country paddling. Plenty of gators and water snakes around but I never saw a cottonmouth on either. They’re certainly there but they prefer the swampy areas where the sun doesn’t shine and water doesn’t move much.

[wavedukefan70s]

We had a neighborhood launch not far down river so I never used that launch but paddled past there numerous times. Haven’t done any swimming in the Ashley. Too much pluff mud getting in and out. I like the out and back paddling on the tidal rivers but you can’t beat the Edisto’s sandy bottom for low country paddling. Plenty of gators and water snakes around but I never saw a cottonmouth on either. They’re certainly there but they prefer the swampy areas where the sun doesn’t shine and water doesn’t move much.

Im sure you have past my son fishing lol .
The wife and i were considering a couple of sot to go down the river on .to start a sport we can do together.a few grand and we could be in the game.

If you fish .past the limehouse mill (bridge)inland there are some sweet spots not very far.