# Strange Snake Behavior



## Maxxdad (Feb 5, 2014)

I am by no means an expert on reptiles. The lesson learned in the White Mountains of the Big Res in Arizona at 8 years old has however lasted a lifetime. I sat down next to an Adobe wall in the shade right next to a very large Western Diamondback who promptly bit me mid arm. The strike was less venom and more "Get the hell out". My Grandfather killed it and I still have the rattles, all 25 of them.

Living here in the Blue Ridge Mountains I have seen a few snakes. Eastern Diamondback, Tan and Brown Copperheads and the occasional Black Snake. 


Today my girl and I were working on our old barn. I was up a ladder and she was heading out the barn door when I heard her "OH SHI&" as she jumped back into the barn. At first I thought it was just a rather rotund black snake, but looking closer I saw the diamond shaped head and crisscross along the back. The darkest colored copperhead I have ever seen. It had come across the meadow and made a bee line for us and more particularly my girl. I dropped a rather large cordless drill on him from 10 feet up and he lost interest in her and proceeded to head for the side of the barn.

This is very strange behavior for a Copperhead.

I did kill it with a pole. I verified that it was indeed a Copperhead.

Has anyone ever heard of a Copperhead acting this aggressively?


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

I have zero experience with copperheads, we don't have many of them in FL. I don't think I've ever even seen one in real life. However, we do have PLENTY of water moccasins, which is another highly venomous snake. They have been known to be very aggressive, and my experience can attest to that fact. What goes on in a snake's head to cause this aggression? Who knows? Perhaps they simply know how dangerous they are, and therefore, know that, in the wild at least, they are not to be trifled with.

I have had to put down a 1000 lb. bull after being bitten on the leg by a water moccasin. Venomous snakes are not to be taken lightly.


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

that is strange from any snake, they don't normally chase people?? do you have a local parks and wildlife centre to call?? as it will be important for them to make a record of this event in case its not a one off (and a patten shows)

oh around here, our reptiles go a darker colour when they bake in the heat of the day for a little too long, if your on the west coast (give me a little credit, I have 7 states to remember you have 52) radiation maybe something to think about?? 

either way reporting this behavior would be a wise move


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## redhawk (May 7, 2014)

Never seen one that aggressive...maybe give VDGIF a call...JM2C


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## Maxxdad (Feb 5, 2014)

I've seen your snakes pheniox17 and "No Thanks" LOL 

I will give Virginia Fish and Game a call and ask/inform.

Most Copperhead bites here are on the hand and lower arm and only then after being stepped on. They usually play possum and don't move till your long gone. About as non-aggressive as any snake can be. I did get on the net and pull up some pics and yes to my surprise there is a strain of copperhead that is very very dark.


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## keith9365 (Apr 23, 2014)

I've never seen an aggresive copperhead. Cottonmouth...another story. I was fishing from the bank on the Ashley river in Summerville SC once. A cottonmouth swam up towards me from the water. I gave him a smack with my pole thinking he would leave. He circled around and came back right towards me. I decided he must want that part of the riverbank more than me and moved on!


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## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

Strange. They're not known for being aggressive in that manner. They'll chase bugs and smaller prey, but not people.


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## keith9365 (Apr 23, 2014)

Around here our timber rattlers (canebreak rattler) can be black on about the last third of their body with chevron type markings, and may not have rattles. They are not particularly aggressive. Copperheads have an hourglass design on them. Could it have been a timber rattler?


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

Is it possible She was between it and it's nest?


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## Maxxdad (Feb 5, 2014)

The barn was used for a long time to store corn. There have been a lot of mice in and out of it for a long time. Lately I have noticed the mouse population has been pretty scarce. I guess I know why. I will get the snake to Va Game and Inland Fisheries a call and have them ID it. Could be something other than Copperhead but to be this size without buds/rattles I tend not to think cane/timber. But like I said "Aint no expert"...
Thanks all


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## Beach Kowboy (Feb 13, 2014)

I know back in Florida, Cottonmouths are pretty aggressive. I would rather deal with a rattler than a cottonmouth any day. At least a rattler with USUALLY give you a warning unless ya step on him or something. I have already seen a rattlesnake here in Montana this year. We killed 37 last year I believe.. I will tell you another aggressive snake even though it is not venomous. That is an Indigo Snake. I remember as a kid we came across one in a path all curled up and we thought it was a tire. By brother kicked it and it chased us a nice little ways..


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I have seen any number of water snake species being that aggressive including the midland water snake. I have never seen an aggressive copperhead that wasn't cornered or taunted. That is weird.


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## Maxxdad (Feb 5, 2014)

csi-tech said:


> I have seen any number of water snake species being that aggressive including the midland water snake. I have never seen an aggressive copperhead that wasn't cornered or taunted. That is weird.


The only thing that may account for it may be with all the banging and hammering that maybe this snake was trying to get back to it's nest under the barn and we were just in the way.


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

our snakes are very very lethal but not aggressive unless provoked, our spiders on the other hand......


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## Go2ndAmend (Apr 5, 2013)

When I was about 18 years old I had a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake chase me down a steep slope. I had originally got it mad by shooting it a few times with a .22 pistol. I had to backpedal pretty fast to get away. Eventually I shot it in the head and that stopped the problem.


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## Beach Kowboy (Feb 13, 2014)

When I was a kid, maybe 10yrs old. My brother, a few friends and my mom went fishing near Lake Okeechobee in a connecting river. We were just fishing from the bank bank and us kids would ease out a few feet from the bank and did a little wading. Anyway we kept seeing water moccasins pop their heads up like turtles. I had the bright idea of tryin to catch one. So II made a thing like you see pros have to catch one. I got a stick about 5 or so feet ling that had a fork in the end of it. Took a fist strings and put the pointed metal end thru the metal loop on the other and put it on the forked end. We made the loop about 6 inches in diameter or so. It was my idea so I was the one that had to "test" it. We seen a few pop their heads out but couldn't reach em because they were out over the drop off. 

Anyway, one finally showed up close enough to reach. I eased the pole out there and put the loop around his neck and yanked that damn stinger like I never have anything. It tightened up around his neck . When I picked it up out of the water, it was a good 5 feet long and several inches in diameter. That sum bitch was heavy for a 10-12 yr old kid, that's for sure. About this time our mom looks up and sees it. She is screamin like hell for me to let it go. I was saying no, it's still alive but she won the argument. I let it go and it chased us kids for what seemed like 30 ft.

This makes me think of another story that has to deal with a gator.. Back is our high school days, my best friend and myself used to go fishing at his uncles pond. He said it wasn't stocked but this place had so many bass, we would catch 2 on the same lure at same time almost every time we went. it was nothing to catch 40-50 bass upwards of 6-8 lbs on a regular basis. It was awesome. Anyway, we were out there one evening and happened to see a gator that was about 6-7 feet long. We couldn't have that, gators eat bass!! So, we didn't have any guns with us so we had to improvise. We got a steel pole about 2 inches in diameter and 4ft long I would guess. We tosses a lure past it and brought it back right over it's nose. It took a few tries. Finally, we made it about 8 feet past it but could retrieve it just over his nose. He reeled it in and as soon as it hit the gators nose, he opened his mouth,turned his head and clamped on the lure. he eased it nice and easy and the gator came right across the top of the water. I was out in the water about 8-10 ft with the steel pole. He came right in front of me and I swung that steel pole like my life depended on it. Hell, it might have. It hit him right behind the head on his neck and he never even flinched or rolled. It killed him dead.

We have gator meat for a little while after that...


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## joec (Nov 12, 2012)

As a high school kid I worked several years for the Serpentarium in South Miami. Some none poisonous snakes such as the black snake or rat snake can be very aggressive but a copper head is also known as an aggressive species. Now in South America, and African species make the snakes native to the North America look mild by comparison though.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

The snakes these days. You would think their parents would teach them better manners. And the schools too. But no, they rely now on peers for guidance. I could blame the parents, but I think by now it is society in general. Those punk snakes. Probably exposed to too many violent video games.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

MrsInor said:


> The snakes these days. You would think their parents would teach them better manners. And the schools too. But no, they rely now on peers for guidance. I could blame the parents, but I think by now it is society in general. Those punk snakes. Probably exposed to too many violent video games.


It's George Bush's fault.


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

MrsInor said:


> The snakes these days. You would think their parents would teach them better manners. And the schools too. But no, they rely now on peers for guidance. I could blame the parents, but I think by now it is society in general. Those punk snakes. Probably exposed to too many violent video games.


snakes on a plane must have defined their childhood


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## firefighter72 (Apr 18, 2014)

I don't know much about snakes, but there are copper heads were i live along with rattle snakes and water mocs. I've never had a problem with snakes befor I like them personally, but I went fishing a few years ago and had a copper head come straight across the river right toward me. It went over my line and I just pulled a little bit and it made a mad dash back across the river.


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## Maxxdad (Feb 5, 2014)

OK, so the word is.....this time of year Copperheads can be very aggressive. Dormant for much of the last three or four months they are just as frantic as snakes can get to feed. Our barn is the feeding ground and we were intruding.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Good to know! So, are you still working on the barn? I'm guessing where there is one snake, there will be more.


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## Maxxdad (Feb 5, 2014)

LOL, Yes tho I'm doin most of it myself at this point. Donna don't do SNAKES!!!!!!!!!!


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Maxxdad said:


> Has anyone ever heard of a Copperhead acting this aggressively?


IMHO - Copperheads are the MOST aggressive of the Pit-Viper family. I don't mind the buzz of the rattler - he's a gentleman among snakes. But that copperhead? He's a real F___er!

Could also be possible that he was going somewhere and your girl was just on the line between A and B.


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