Copperheads (best advice you have)

Some distant kinfolk moved to TX recently. Was looking for general tips on snakes. Gave her those but specifically they have a bunch of copperheads being seen and some dog bites they are hearing about.

I have rattlesnakes but no copperheads, what proven advice do you have I can pass on to her?

Her neighbors are telling her to fence with part buried, I cautioned her against feeling like this is secure.

Justin

Removing all leaves and brush would be a start

Dear Holly, please inform your husband that "her against" is not spelled heragaibst. And also that since holly is your name, it should probably be capitalized.

Darn iPhone! She doesn't read these Paul (holly).

I had a friend of mine in Texas tells me his copperheads are quite docile.He picks them up and carries them off with his golf club.

Thanks, I changed my post.

Be it leaves, mulch, shale or stone work, I don't find many copperheads in surroundings that aren't copperhead colored. They are a short and fat ambush predator and need all of the help they can get. I can really identify with that.

I feel like a fence is a waste of time with snakes, like the others said keep the yard clean from debris, cut the grass often and keep it short

I find alot of copperheads in the pine forest plantations that I trap and hunt in. Mostly because the colors of the leaves and the sticks that litter the forest floor.

Thanks Folks,

What I had imparted to her follows some of what is written above. Along with those stated I gave her the following.

1) Clear brush, low vegetation and cover if possible.

2) Remove harborage and attractions for mice and other rodents that draw snakes through predator prey behavior.

3) Deterrents sold in stores should not be looked at as an option (though I understand some folks like them).

4) Fencing could be tried to create a perimeter but gaps, gates, and other features including brush can allow entry so
fencing can create a false sense of confidence and you may drop you guard.

They aren't new to TX, have lived there before, but it was more urban before, this is more suburban and they have a creek
right behind the house, so good quality habitat like where most suburbs are built!

Thanks for the thoughts, was mostly curious if copperheads have different behavior than most rattlesnakes in terms of
climbing or being arboreal versus being a bit lazier and waiting for the meal to wander within striking distance.

Justin

Justin, copperheads really can't be compared to rattlers (they are really an upland mocassin).

Behavior wise they are the mildest of all of our hots and imo even milder than the common rat snake. Almost always when given the room to run and hide they will do just that. It is rare for one to "stand it's ground" if given space. Unfortunately though it is not a fast mover like a racer and can be slow to make up it's mind and due to it's coloration will assume it's hidden in plain sight. This leads some to assume copperheads are territorial and will not move but that's not the case. Gentle prodding is all it usually takes to get one to move on. BTW the only stike reactions I have ever seen I would classify as purely defensive in nature and they really aren't the hyper strike everything in sight like some of the rattlers I've handled.
It is an ambush hunter and not aboreal at all in my experience. Due to the small size I do not think it is a pure rodent eater like our timbers usually are. I think you can put toads and similar sized amphibians or other small reptiles on the menu as well. I see them in this area up next to houses in the pine straw mulch under the shubbery so I class them in the same food source grouping as garters and other midsize snakes. As a result my general recommendation is to remove all loose mulch materials from the yard and particularly adjacent to the home plus keep all shrubs trimmed to maintain clearance of at least a foot above ground and at least two foot from the house to let light penetrate. Hardscaping with solid non loose mulches like river rock or pea gravel is a much better option if snakes are a concern.
Moisture is probably the hardest issue to control as I find copperheads strongly corelated to water. Not in the water mind you but there is almost always water nearby. In the height of summer and especially in drought years irrigation near the home will be a draw for copperheads as will HVAC drain lines.
Another thing to keep in mind in areas with copperheads is that they are mostly nocturnal, more so when the heat is on, so extra caution is required during the hours of darkness. One of the common bite profiles is a person walking barefoot or with sandals in yard at night. Fortunately the small size of the snake and short fangs makes sturdy footwear fairly bite resistant. The other main bite profile for copperheads is reaching into dark or hidden areas so it never a good idea to put hands into areas the can not be visually inspected first.
I hope this helps.

That is awesome info David, and much appreciated! I'll copy what you wrote straight off to my cousins sister (I'm gonna sound like the redneck I am by explaining this is for the sister of my cousin's wife). Have always been close to my cousins and their extended kinfolks and this is just one of many, but know she'll appreciate the well written and excellent thoughts there on this particular snake.

Her son is in his young teens and loves all wildlife and nature, so he is stoked, his mother is not!

Thanks again, exactly what I was looking for!

Justin

Just tell all the crooks in Texas that copperheads have a lot of copper in them and they'll steal every one.

As mentioned, copperheads are not as aggressive as a rattlesnake BUT don't let that be misinterpreted: they account for the vast majority of snake bites in TX if not the US. Most people bitten are those who were not aware that the snake was there: typically gardners, etc.

Bites are typically mild compared to the other poisonous snakes BUT that does not mean that a bite is not a big deal, a person could loose an appendage from a bite.

Also, I would beware of cottonmouths if I lived close to a flowing creek/river. There is so much bad info that had been televised about them.

It is quite apparent to all that live in either SE TX or LA that anyone who suggests that all cottonmouths are docile do not know what they are talking about.

There was a video on one of the cable channels that showed a PHD trying to prove how docile they are. Well, that may be true for eastern cottonmouths BUT not for the western cottonmouths who are very aggressive. Their bites ARE serious!

I can't speak to the western cotton mouth but having grown up on the warrior river in Alabama and hunted throughout central Alabama's swamps I'm very familiar with that ugly big square headed beast called a water mocassin. I wouldn't call them aggressive in the sense of going looking to bite the very next person they see as many times as they can before the hoe gets them but they definitely have a certain attitude about them. More of a to heck with the rest of the world I was here first and I'll be danged if I'm moving for anybody. IMO, the aggression stems from a serious NO FEAR attitude. I'll "play" with a timber but it's all business when I have to handle a mocassin. Thank God we don't have any to speak of in my part of Georgia.

Warrior,

You stated that way better than I phrased my post. They won't seek you out but many of them sure seem to challenge you.

I've gotten the [Please excuse my language... I'm an idiot] look from many of them. They just plain don't care what me or you think of them.