Snakes liking the cooler weather.

Seeing more daytime movement of Copperheads around my place. I suppose the cooler weather is more to their liking. I know it is for ME.

I was doing a little scouting this morning and ran across this little fella. He was basking in the full sunlight...so pretty easy to spot despite him laying perfectly still.



As I approached him... he started to move off slowly.

When they crawl across something of one color and texture....their pattern really stands out.



But if they are down in the leaves and sticks they pretty much disappear.


I picked up a stick rolled the snake over and pinned it down (lightly) with my boot. I wanted to take a quick picture showing the single row of scales (after the anal vent) that denotes a venomous snake (indigenous to the lower 48) in case you didn't already know.



Then I let him up to go on his way...which he did post haste.

cooler weather..starting to move to their dens, and they will lay in the sun to warm up after cool nights

Yeah, see them on the roadways too. The road topping holds the heat for awhile as the afternoon temps begin to drop.

they aint so bad when its colder and they move slow

This one wasn't moving at all until I got within a couple of feet of it. It was warming itself...no doubt about that. When/if they get cold...they will actually be sluggish. This one was nothing like that, just enjoying the sun and taking advantage of the cooler weather.

This Summer I would only find them at night after the temperature had abated some. Well...that and they like to hunt at night anyway.

This one definitely took a defensive posture and struck at the stick when I went to turn him over (took several tries).

But I can't imagine any advantage to being bitten slowly as opposed to fast.

They don't act quite as 'pissy' when they are cold though, if that was your meaning....I agree.

Why is it still alive?

I think Colt is right, the cooler weather has them moving. Be careful.

They are out and about with the warm days and cool nights. Killed 4 rattlesnakes at our cabin last Saturday. Time of the year to watch your step and use a flashlight at night. Be careful.

Well done....nice southern....

I would've pressed a harder when holding him down...I know they serve their purpose but I hate snakes

This snake was out in the woods (where it belongs), no threat to me or our animals. Absolutely no reason to harm it.

Normally, I would not even have stopped or handled it, but I have spotted more of them recently and wanted to advise folks to watch for them. And you KNOW how the forums go: No pics= It didn't happen, so I provided the obligatory photos.

Have also found a few 'broad bands' over the years, but most are the more common 'Southern'.

This one was pretty drab, but some have beautifully contrasting colors.

Found this well marked pair down by my shop one evening.

Why wouldn't it still be alive? It wasn't harming anything.

ALL snakes on my property get a 'pass' as long as they are not up around my house, in the yard or hanging around my shop or outbuildings. Even then, ALL non-venomous snakes are relocated.

I relocate or keep all mine (venomous or not)......just got a nice hog nose a couple weeks ago....first one I've seen since I was a kid....

I saw several moulting/shedding remains this weekend

I don't normally check their anal venting apparatus....I just look at their head. A V shaped head and cat eyes means they usually meet the "shredder", lol.

Understand...and for expediency in the field, that is a good way to render a decision. Of the four 'indigenous' venomous snakes in the U.S., three are pit vipers (Rattlesnakes, Moccasins and Copperheads) and those three have distinctly triangular heads with the neck being noticeably narrower than the head and also have an elliptical pupil of the eye.

The last venomous snake (indigenous) is the Coral Snake, it does NOT have a triangular shaped head, has round pupils and of course the distinct color and pattern.

But for sake of determining the status of certain non-venomous snakes (look-alikes) from actual venomous ones...it is helpful to know that the venomous ones have a single row of scales (past the anal vent) whereas non-venomous have two.

I kill any copperhead or rattlesnake, end of story. Spent 2.5 days in the hospital bc of a copperhead doing its on thing in the wild while I was walking and not screwing with it, in fact it was pitch black outside. They never intend harm unless your screwing with them which I wasn't. So anything like that, that could hurt one of my kids or someone else hunting with me is dead.

Interesting. Thanks for the info, I never knew that. However, I don't normally handle any snake. Not because of the fear factor, but more because of the smell factor. I CAN NOT stand the smell an agitated snake gives off. Makes me nauseas, lol.

I am with you. I kill every single poisonous snake that I see.

My brother was at his place this morning working on his wetland. Had snake guards on and his shotgun with him. Then he went to the pasture to check his corn feeder. Since it isn't near water he took off his guards and didn't have his scattergun. As he walked up he could hear something moving in the brush. A big ol fat cottonmouth slithering 3 feet away...