Got Bit By a Copperhead A couple days ago...

[hotmomma]

And for those who may not have seen it, here is a pic of the Copperhead we found on our back deck a week or so ago. Very pretty, but dangerous.

They give me goosebumps. I think it was about a year ago when I stepped right over a copperhead. It was sitting near the steps at work. One of my co-workers saw it immediately but she was the only one. She waited for all of us to come to work and when we were inside she told us about the snake. She said she wanted to see if anyone else noticed it Tried to find something around the office to kill it but it was gone before we found anything.

 

[morningbell]

And for those who may not have seen it, here is a pic of the Copperhead we found on our back deck a week or so ago. Very pretty, but dangerous.

He got the crazy eye ready to strike......

 

[Jeff]

Ouch. My father was bitten by a very large cooperhead when I was about 5 or so. He was in my grandfathers somokehouse looking for some antique. When he went to grab the antique the snake got him right on the end of his middle finger.

He tied it off to keep the poison from speading but the end of his middle finger swelled up to where it looked like something a bit larger than a golfball and turned completely white. During the drive to the hosptal the pressure got so bad he just whipped out his pocket knife and sliced it open. Blood and stuff splattered al over the car.

They kept him in the hospital about a week. This was about '71. I think they kept him trying to keep him from losing his finger.

I was only 5 at the time and saw the whole thing and thought if you got bit by a poisonous snake that was it, the end. I guess I remeber it so well because I honestly thought dad was done for.

 

[Chain729]

copperhead bites are nasty, but not at all fatal. (maybe for the elderly or small children)
the worst thing is the possibility of some local (to the bite) tissue destruction, other than that, swelling, muscle pain and a headache are what can be expected.
most the time they dont give anti venom unless you were bitten by more than one snake at a time. lethal dose is around 100 mg and the average snake will produce only 60 to 70mg

let us know how this works out for you.

Anything over about 60 pounds and not allergic is OK. It won't kill you, just make you wish you were dead.

Hospitals here don't know what to do about snake bites because it's rare anyone gets bit by anything to worry about. Copperheads would rather hide or run than strike, locals know how to deal with them, and transplants are usually crazy city people that have panic attacks at the first sign of a snake.

 

[Woodyspda]

Copperheads would rather hide or run than strike, locals know how to deal with them, and transplants are usually crazy city people that have panic attacks at the first sign of a snake.

Gee that's about the most ignorant thing I've ever seen anyone write on here. "locals know how to deal with them"???? Gee do they teach Copperhead 101 in the local schools???

I'm a transplant and know at least one person who has been bitten by a copperhead and I also know of at least 4 nests that have been found in the last year in yards where children play. Unless they teach the kids in daycare, I don't think a 2 year old will know what to do when they see one in the corner of the yard.

If you would have said that a majority of the local doctors know how to handle copperhead bites but most of the doctors here are transplants and are unfamiliar with the species.... I'd agree with you.

My friend who was bitten was out hiking in Patapsco State Park with some friends. She had stopped momentarily (on a pile of rocks) to grab some water and felt a sharp sting on her leg. She initially thought she had been stung by a ground bee or a spider... She had continued hiking and about a half hour later her leg had started to swell.... It was New Years Day a couple of years ago and it took about an hour to return to the car and another half hour to the hospital... The docs could only find one puncture mark and they inititially thought it was something other than a snake bite. Finally a doc that knew what they were looking at figured it out and my friend was taken care of... She was laid up for over 3 weeks. They NEVER saw the stinkin snake....

 

[Woodyspda]

Oh I forgot to mention another friend of mine who's dog was bitten by a copperhead.... 2000 bucks later and the dog is fine.

 

[Chain729]

Gee that's about the most ignorant thing I've ever seen anyone write on here. "locals know how to deal with them"???? Gee do they teach Copperhead 101 in the local schools???

I'm a transplant and know at least one person who has been bitten by a copperhead and I also know of at least 4 nests that have been found in the last year in yards where children play. Unless they teach the kids in daycare, I don't think a 2 year old will know what to do when they see one in the corner of the yard.

If you would have said that a majority of the local doctors know how to handle copperhead bites but most of the doctors here are transplants and are unfamiliar with the species.... I'd agree with you.

My friend who was bitten was out hiking in Patapsco State Park with some friends. She had stopped momentarily (on a pile of rocks) to grab some water and felt a sharp sting on her leg. She initially thought she had been stung by a ground bee or a spider... She had continued hiking and about a half hour later her leg had started to swell.... It was New Years Day a couple of years ago and it took about an hour to return to the car and another half hour to the hospital... The docs could only find one puncture mark and they inititially thought it was something other than a snake bite. Finally a doc that knew what they were looking at figured it out and my friend was taken care of... She was laid up for over 3 weeks. They NEVER saw the stinkin snake....

I'm not awake enough to bother with your drivel; have a nice day.

 

[Geek]

You sure you aren't Geek's MPD?

Hang on girlfriend, I feel another trip report coming on

 

[keekee]

Try never to kill a snake, if at all possible.

Plus I believe it's illegal to kill any type of snake in Maryland(?)

 

[BuddyLee]

Plus I believe it's illegal to kill any type of snake in Maryland(?)

I find that hard to believe.

 

[bcp]

I find that hard to believe.

as someone that has a permit for captive reptiles and amphibians, I can pretty much say that the only snake really specifically named as illegal to kill in the state is the Timber Rattler. Of course, I would seriously think against killing any snake. they all have important roles in nature.

 

[BuddyLee]

as someone that has a permit for captive reptiles and amphibians, I can pretty much say that the only snake really specifically named as illegal to kill in the state is the Timber Rattler. Of course, I would seriously think against killing any snake. they all have important roles in nature.

My brother and father will kill it if its in the yard. My guess is because of my little sister.

As for myself, I would rather leave them be. Messing with nature isn't a good thing usually.

 

[bcp]

My brother and father will kill it if its in the yard. My guess is because of my little sister.

As for myself, I would rather leave them be. Messing with nature isn't a good thing usually.

I have captured and released (in a better location) copperheads before.
I dont kill them. Now, if the bastage bit me, all bets are off.

 

[Penn]

I have captured and released (in a better location) copperheads before.
I dont kill them. Now, if the bastage bit me, all bets are off.

It's my understanding that most snakes don't want any part of us humans. They will generally move off, and get away from the area you are inhabiting.

But, do not corner them, giving them no escape route!

 

[bcp]

It's my understanding that most snakes don't want any part of us humans. They will generally move off, and get away from the area you are inhabiting.

But, do not corner them, giving them no escape route!

some of the Pit Vipers dont play by those rules.

copperheads will back away a little bit and give you a chance to change direction, but if they are claiming territory, they wont back up but so far.
if its in your yard, and you have kids or animals, it is possible that something is going to get bit.

 

[Penn]

some of the Pit Vipers dont play by those rules.

copperheads will back away a little bit and give you a chance to change direction, but if they are claiming territory, they wont back up but so far.
if its in your yard, and you have kids or animals, it is possible that something is going to get bit.

I recently purchased a box of 9mm ammunition that has birdshot loaded in the nose, in place of a jacketed bullet. Would that sort of ammo do the job, should an angry Copperhead got too frisky?

 

[bcp]

I recently purchased a box of 9mm ammunition that has birdshot loaded in the nose, in place of a jacketed bullet. Would that sort of ammo do the job, should an angry Copperhead got too frisky?

well, I reckon it would leave a big bloody hole in the ground where the nasty little critter was once a slitherin.

I could use some of that ammo for squirrels

 

[Penn]

well, I reckon it would leave a big bloody hole in the ground where the nasty little critter was once a slitherin.

I could use some of that ammo for squirrels

Just as I thought! I got mine at a place called the Tackle Box, but they should be available at most gunshops.

 

[desertrat]

I recently purchased a box of 9mm ammunition that has birdshot loaded in the nose, in place of a jacketed bullet. Would that sort of ammo do the job, should an angry Copperhead got too frisky?

Just as I thought! I got mine at a place called the Tackle Box, but they should be available at most gunshops.

It was a popular item back in AZ. I think the boxes even had a picture of a rattler on them. I know you could buy them in .22 and .38.

 

[happyappygirl]

My daughter's little 13lb Jack Russel Jilly-Bean was bitten in the face a week ago today by a copperhead. She lives in a condo in P/F, and had walked out to the dumpster, tossed a bag in. Jilly was on the flexi lead. Daughter walked away from the dumpster, looked back and Jilly was taking a dump, so she waited. The dog stood, took 2 steps and WHAP WHAP WHAP 3 times like lightening. The stupid snake was in the parking lot between my daughter and the dog.

She scooped her up and raced to the vet. Within minutes poor Jilly's head swelled up above the collar to the size of a cantelope! She went limp, and started drooling. The vet popped her with the antivenin, benadryl and pred, which slowed the swelling, then stopped it, so by morning it wasn't any bigger, but still massively swollen. It took about 48 hours for it to begin to subside, but she's on the upswing now. She will likely loose the flesh on at least 2 spots about the size of a dime on the side of her snoot. The bill wasn't too bad, somewhere around 850.00. the antivenin was 650.00. It's amazing the vets react to the bites faster than docs for humans.

The vet said this year has been especially bad with dogs being bitten and i believe it. We've lost count of how many we've killed this year on our driveway. If i can see 'em, they're dead. No questions asked. That's the only native snake we WILL kill on sight. Got a couple of nice tanned hides now.

Rattlers dispense nerotoxins (affects the nervous system). Copeprheads dispense homotoxins (affect the cappilaries and tissues). Rattler bites are worse than copperhead bites.