North Carolina

Stay safe with these snake & gator awareness strategies in NC this summer

Stories by News & Observer journalists, with AI summarization

This collection of stories shares practical ways to stay safe around North Carolina wildlife during summer.

One article explains why copperheads are active once it reaches 60 degrees and suggests you leave them alone if you see them. Another discusses the capture and relocation of a large alligator missing part of its tail in a Southport backyard.

A teen’s encounter with a rattlesnake in Pisgah National Forest highlights the risks of remote outdoor adventures and the need for rescue readiness. Tourists in Sunset Beach were surprised when an eight-foot alligator joined them in the ocean before police moved it to safety. Reducing overgrown vegetation in your yard can help limit snake encounters.

Read the stories below.

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

NO. 1: NC’S COPPERHEAD SEASON IS HERE. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE COMMON VENOMOUS SNAKE

Copperheads are the only venomous snake you’re likely to encounter in the Triangle and central NC. Here’s how to identify and avoid them. | Published April 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted

Alligators are native to the North Carolina coast and they typically avoid contact with humans, experts say.

NO. 2: LARGE GATOR — MISSING 10 INCHES OF ITS TAIL — FOUND IN BACKYARD, NC CAPTORS SAY

It may have lost the tail in a gator brawl, experts say | Published April 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

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. 3: CAN YOU KEEP COPPERHEADS OUT OF YOUR NC YARD? AN EXPERT RECOMMENDS THESE TIPS

To keep snakes out, you first need to know what brings them in. We have the details. | Published May 16, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska

The snake bite happened Monday, June 2, in Pisgah National Forest and the rescue operation launched out of Salisbury, North Carolina, at about 5:30 p.m., according to N.C. Emergency Management.

NO. 4: DESPERATE TEEN REPORTS RATTLESNAKE BITE IN REMOTE NC FOREST — MILES FROM ROAD

The teen says the bite was quick and didn’t hurt ... at first. | Published June 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

The alligator crawled out of the Atlantic Ocean June 19 at Sunset Beach, and ended up in a tug-of-war with a police officer, photos show.

NO. 5: LARGE ALLIGATOR CRAWLS FROM OCEAN TO JOIN STUNNED TOURISTS ON BEACH, NC COPS SAY

Alligators are fresh water creatures and only tolerate salt water, experts say. | Published June 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

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.