North Carolina

11 essential tips for navigating wildlife dangers in North Carolina

Stories by News & Observer journalists, with AI summarization

This collection of stories explores ways to stay safe around North Carolina's wildlife and natural hazards.

The articles discuss how to identify venomous snakes such as copperheads and give steps to take if your dog is bitten by a snake. They also describe the patterns and colors of copperhead snakes found in different parts of the state.

Several accounts highlight alligator encounters, including an alligator injuring a child in Lake Waccamaw and a large gator emerging onto a busy beach. Other stories explain how to deter snakes from your yard and how to avoid stings from Portuguese man-of-war found along the coast.

Read the stories below.

An eastern coral snake is rare in Georgia, but are extremely venomous.

NO. 1: NORTH CAROLINA IS HOME TO 6 VENOMOUS SNAKES. HERE’S WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE

We may be more likely to see snakes this time of year, as the weather warms. Use this information to make encounters less scary. | Published March 13, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted

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

NO. 2: 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

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: A COPPERHEAD BIT YOUR DOG? WHAT NC VETERINARIANS SAY YOU SHOULD DO

Humans know to leave snakes alone if we see them. Dogs don’t. In case a copperhead strikes your furry friend, keep these tips in mind. | Published April 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted Brooke Cain

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. 4: 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

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

NO. 5: 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. 6: 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

Their balloon-like shape and colors of blue, purple or pink can be alluring, but avoid the Portugese man-of-war in the water and on land. The sting is extremely painful, and tentacles can release venom for weeks after the animal dies. By Elizabeth Condon

NO. 7: SQUISHY HAZARDS WASH UP ALONG NC COAST. HOW TO AVOID GETTING STUNG AT THE BEACH

With this sea creature spotted on some NC beaches, strands of tentacles can stretch from 30 to 100 feet long. | Published May 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Martha Quillin

The swimming pool at the Comfort Inn South in Nags Head collapsed after several days of pounding by heavy surf generated by Hurricane Dennis in September 1999. The Atlantic hurricane season started June 1. and 2025 is expected to be another busier-than-normal year for potentially dangerous storms. By Scott Sharpe

NO. 8: HURRICANE SEASON HAS STARTED. HERE’S THE NC OUTLOOK FROM WEATHER EXPERTS

It’s a good time to check the forecast and stuff a crate with flashlights, batteries and snack foods with a long shelf life. | Published June 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Martha Quillin

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. 9: 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

A submerged alligator emerged among swimming children in North Carolina’s Lake Waccamaw, leaving one seriously hurt, police say.

NO. 10: ALLIGATOR EMERGES AMONG SWIMMING KIDS, SERIOUSLY INJURING 1 IN LAKE, NC COPS SAY

The children were playing in about 4 feet of water, officials say. | Published June 16, 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. 11: 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.