Old Rag has both Rattle Snakes and Copperheads. I have often seen Timber Rattlesnakes during the day but I have almost never seen a Copperhead during the day. I often see them at dusk, twilight and early evening. They are very pretty and are nothing to worry about as long as you do not get too close to them. Please do not hassle or hurt them as they eat rodents which are reservoirs for many tick bourn diseases and tick bourn diseases are arguably the most dangerous things in the park.
Spot the Copperhead
Photo came from following link:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nativetreesociety.org/forestecology/photos/copperhead1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nativetreesociety.org/forestecology/can_you_spot_the_copperhead.htm&h=476&w=613&sz=79&tbnid=k9KaPj_ISth9_M:&tbnh=111&tbnw=143&zoom=1&usg=__mZgpJWZ11zYo3VjwcV5rh-r3gtM=&docid=CHJ7cciv72dVyM&sa=X&ei=hps8UrjnFIiS9gSLl4DoCw&ved=0CC4Q9QEwAA
While generally not life threatening for an adult, Copperhead bites can be very serious. Check out the following pictures of a Copperhead bite injury.
If the pain and tissue damage are not enough to get your attention Google for the cost of snake bite treatment. The following is one such search result:
I was bit by a Copperhead on 8-8-13. The hospital (LNRMC in Mooresville, NC), kept me overnight, administered 4 units of anti-venim. Total cost of treatment= $89,226.86.The anti-venim alone was $81,159.16! That equates to $20,289.00 per vial- I think that there is a mark-up going on somewhere... Going to the news about this one; I hope that they like the "free advertising"!
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