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How to keep copperheads out of your NC backyard & identify snakes varying in color

Stories by News & Observer journalists, with AI summarization

Copperheads are North Carolina's most common venomous snake, often found in yards, wooded areas and even on front porches. To identify copperheads, look for a distinctive hourglass or Hershey's Kiss pattern along a brownish, sometimes variable-colored body; young snakes may have a yellow-tipped tail. These snakes prefer hiding in leaf litter, tall grass, or piles of yard debris, making regular yard maintenance a key safety step.

Most copperhead bites happen when people try to handle or kill them, so it's safest to keep your distance and wear gloves and closed shoes in risky areas. If bitten, you should stay calm, remove jewelry near the bite, avoid cutting or icing the wound, and seek prompt medical help or call NC Poison Control for advice.

Mecklenburg County is asking Charlotte residents to stop placing mothballs along trails and in nature preserves because it’s ineffective in deterring snakes, including the venomous copperhead.

NO. 1: WHAT IF A COPPERHEAD BITES YOU AND YOU DON’T HAVE CELL SERVICE IN NC? HERE’S WHAT TO DO

We talked to the medical director of NC Poison Control for his advice. Screenshot this story so you have it on your phone in an emergency. | Published June 15, 2023 | Read Full Story by Kimberly Cataudella

A copperhead snake looks up at the Nature Museum in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010. By AP Photo/Chuck Burton

NO. 2: TIPS TO TREAT BITES AND AVOID ENCOUNTERS WITH COPPERHEADS, OTHER SNAKES IN NORTH CAROLINA

“Identifying snakes can be tricky, and mistaking a non-venomous snake for a venomous one is common.” | Published March 14, 2024 | Read Full Story by N&O Service Journalism Team, with Nota AI summarization

This large copperhead snake was spotted by Theresa Westerman in her backyard.

NO. 3: STAY SAFE IN YOUR NC BACKYARD: KEEP COPPERHEADS & OTHER SNAKES OUT WITH THESE EXPERT TIPS

Here’s what a wildlife biologist says you should do in your backyard to deter snakes (and nudge them out when you see one). | Published May 9, 2024 | Read Full Story by Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska

Copperheads bites are the most common venomous snake bite in the Carolinas. By The Sun News

NO. 4: COPPERHEAD BITE STORIES: WE TALKED TO 3 RECENT BITE VICTIMS ABOUT THEIR NC EXPERIENCES

What’s it like to be bitten by a copperhead? We talked to doctors and bite victims. | Published June 12, 2024 | Read Full Story by Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska

Copperheads are the most common venomous snake in South Carolina. Local expert, Todd Metz, said he’s already started to see them in the Myrtle Beach area following the winter hibernation season. According to Metz, this year is not different in terms of the number of snakes he’s seen compared to previous years. By Janet Blackmon Morgan

NO. 5: COPPERHEADS IN NC CAN VARY IN COLOR. SEE WHAT THEY CAN LOOK LIKE

To identify a copperhead, you can’t just go by color alone. Here’s what gives some copperheads a different look. | Published May 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.