The following is a true story
– only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. I swear it is true
on my mother’s grave (although my mother is still alive and kicking). The moral
to the story is be careful what you buy, where you buy it and check it when you
get home.
 |
| My sister and I |
Sissy, my sister in Oklahoma, had seen a sale on potting soil at
a big chain drugstore, whose name begins with a “W”, that you find on most
every corner. She bought several bags of potting soil, threw them in her
“beemer’s” back seat and proceeded to continue her shopathon. Sissy is not
practicing to be a Recessionista. I digress.
After buying groceries and
eating lunch at the local bistro, my sister drove back home. Upon arrival she
hauled the bags of potting soil from the back seat of her car, through the
garage to the back porch and began potting her Petunias, Pelargoniums and
Periwinkles. All seemed to be going well and she was making good time as she
shoveled out soil with her little garden trowel. Many pots later, she looked
into the plastic sack as she got another trowel-full of soil and lo and behold
there was the mother of all Copperhead
snakes (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix).
The Southern Copperhead reaches
an adult length of 24 to 26 inches. They have a pale brown to light tan body,
often with a pinkish tint. Their yellow eyes have elliptical or cat-like
pupils. Its body, covered with rough scales, is patterned with dark, hour
glass-shaped cross bands, wider at their base and narrow across the back.
Copperheads have heat-sensing "pits" located between the eyes and
nostrils, hence the name "pit viper". Familiarize yourself with this
snake because you do not want to get close enough to see these “pits.” The Copperhead is found in the eastern United States to the
central and southern states, and in the eastern third of Texas. Southern Copperheads
prefer places to hide that include leaf litter, logs and branches.
The Copperhead’s diet consists of baby
cottontails, swamp rabbits, rats, mice, birds, snakes, lizards, baby turtles,
frogs, toads, and insects, especially grasshoppers and cicadas. So, there is
one positive of having this creature in your garden, maybe. They are preyed on
by other snakes and birds of prey. These snakes reach sexual maturity within
two to three years. Mating season is in the spring (February to early May),
shortly after leaving winter dens; and fall (August to October) with
fertilization delayed until following spring. Being a pit viper, Copperheads do
not lay eggs. Instead the eggs are kept inside the female's body until the eggs
are ready to "hatch." Incubation time is 105 to 110 days. The four to
eight young, 7 to 10 inches (17 to 25 cm) long, weigh less than an ounce (28 g)
at birth.
Southern Copperheads are active during daylight hours (diurnal) during early
spring and late fall, at which time they will generally depend on the ability
of their bodies to blend in with their environment to obtain prey and avoid
enemies. They are nocturnal during the summer heat, actively hunting for prey
during the cooler evening hours. Southern Copperheads often eat one single meal
every three weeks-even during their most active months. These snakes sometimes
nest with other snake species during hibernation. Lying motionless on a bed of dead leaves, this snake’s pale-brown and
chestnut-colored body is all but invisible. These are venomous snakes, but they
are slow-movers.
Whether adult or juvenile, the
Copperhead’s bite is seldom fatal because of its short fangs (1.2 to 7.2 mm in
length) and the small amount of venom that is released. The venom's most
important function is to kill animals to be eaten. Defense is only a secondary
function. If bitten, you should seek medical attention. That being said, you
should take some safety precautions to
keep you from harm. Don’t put your hands or feet anywhere until you can see
exactly what is there. Never step over a log without first seeing what is on
the other side. If you must move a log, use a long stick or garden tool first creatures
have wonderful protective coloration. Use a flashlight when moving about at
night, even in your yard. Wear protective clothing if working in the woods or
around brush. Freeze when snakes are known to be nearby until you know where
they are. Allow the snake to retreat. If you must move, back slowly and
carefully away from the snake.
Now the rest of the story. After much
screaming and running around, my sister summoned her 26 year-old son for help.
Now, Bubba doesn’t like to kill stuff so his idea of handling this calamity was
to take the potting soil to the backyard and turn the snake loose. I told her
she should have taken the bag with snake back to the drugstore and get her
money back. She was afraid to do that for fear they would charge her for the
snake. Did I ever tell you that I am the smart one in the family?
