copperheads???

[dubs]

i found them and seen copperheads up in north reading before when dirt jumping. a friend of mines dad even caught on years back and we kept it as a pet for a months and the thing was pretty cool. other people told me that they were there i had just seen that one example but i dunno.

[PadraigC]

North Reading is a site of intrest of mine when in comes to new copperheads pops in MA. Another is around te essex Ipswich are. Could you remember the coloration and size

[Rbraczyk]

I hate to be a spoilsport, but thats the most dangerous snake east of the Mississippi. Don't **** with them.

[PadraigC]

not for nothing here buddy but east of the Missippi has alot more dangerous animals then that.........Eastern Diamond Back, TImber, Cotton Mouth, COral Snake. Copperheads are still venemous but not as dangerous as the big boys above. Theyre still venemous but, most bites and invenamations aren't as life threatning.

[Rbraczyk]

Copperheads cause internal bleeding. Cottonmouth don't. the fact that cottonmouths' travel in clusters makes them very dangerous.

[dubs]

i would have to say the coral snake is much more dangerous than a copperhead, and i have handled copperheads freely no gloves attached, and no bites so you do the math.

[Schlyne]

Copperheads are often considered the "beginner hot". I'm not saying that a copperhead isn't dangerous, but compared to some of the others, it's not as bad.

[KLG]

If you think that copperheads are more toxic than canebrakes/timbers, easterns, massasaugas, etc, then you've got another thing coming.

[Adam]

i would be more worried about my precious life i was bit by a canebrake/timber/EDB/massasaugas which i have no idea what they are. but to be bit like a copperhead.. is like the panzy bite of the venomous. im not saying that its harmless but there worse crap that could happen to you. i think i read that crofab covers like all the rattlesnakes/viperdae that we have. but i dont think that it cover the elusive coral snake. YET i could be wrong.. actually 75% im wrong.. i just thought i would sound smart for a change

[snakeman55]

Copperheads cause internal bleeding. Cottonmouth don't. the fact that cottonmouths' travel in clusters makes them very dangerous.

WHAT????? Copperheads do have hemotoxic venom, so on some level they could cause internal bleeding, but the yield of venom that they produce upon envenomation as well as it's level of toxicity are NOTHING compared to the other animals listed, including Cottonmouths.

For the record, Cotton Mouths produce both hemotoxic AND neurotoxic venoms so not only do they ALSO cause internal bleeding, but they affect your respiration and motor control as well. That is why they're dangerous, and the fact that they are down right prolific around water in the south.

In the grand scheme of all hots, cottonmouths are luke warm, and copperheads are cool. I wouldn't want to get bitten by any of them, but I would take 3 copperhead bites before one cotton mouth bite.

Coral Snakes are potentially deadly, but they're mouths are VERY small and they are small themselves, so they pose little threat to someone walking by. Of course if you handle it that's a different story.

[Corbin]

Copperheads aren't that serious of a snake, sure they can mess you up pretty good with one bite. But, they aren't over all that aggressive. I caught my first copperhead when I was 10 years old and it only struck at me once.

[KLG]

Regardless of the severity of the bite, *ALL* venomous snakes should be taken seriously!! Something can always go wrong if you're not careful, so don't get cocky.

Just my $.02

K~

[RhacBreeder]

I'm careful when I pick up my BP's so I sure as sh*t wouldn't be pickin' up any hots without an open space and a hook. I also haven't been bit by any snakes yet, except for the huge garter that stole my glove, wouldn't let go but it never bit me :) -Joe

[Scott W]

Out of my small venomous collection, the CopperHead kills a mouse quicker than the western db's and the Banded Rock rattler I own. Only the cerastes cerastes kill quicker but they do hold onto their prey. V.ammodytes are fairly quick mouse killers too.

It's suprised a few people watching just how quick a mouse keels over when bitten by a copperhead, and yes...they are often quoted as being a 'good' first hot snake...lol

[JetWrangler]

Well being from Mississippi I will throw in my 2 cents on this one. As dangerous as all the snakes are that everyone listed. Cottonmouths find more victims than any of the other ones. Mostly because they are near water and alot of people fish and have fun in the water. I personally have caught a few small cottonmouths and they are very aggressive. We would take them down to the water and release them. Ive seen copperheads as big as some of the pythons on this site. Not saying they are all like that but there are a few. Copperheads dont seem to get mixed up with humans as much. There typical response when you walk up on them is to try and back away and we do the same. ALL ARE VENOMOUS AND DANGEROUS most people die from them only because they are so far away from hospital treatmet, which is very common in the south most everything is still "the country"

[EvilMorphgod]

Ummmmm

Water moccasins travel in CLUSTERS???

Come on now!!

Back to Copperheads..has anyone really seen one in MASS??

They are in the blue hills area for sure and around Mt Tom behind the old amusement park.

Ipswich Mass??

Kevin

[dubs]

i have at the postals in between walmart aND THE post office in north reading at the dirt jumps check it out.....

[KLG]

Are you SURE? Were they milksnakes?? What were they doing...they are very secretative!!!!

Kev

[RhacBreeder]

alright so i guess dubs is back... and would the speed in which a copperhead kills a mouse compare to the damage it would do to a human? When they bite the mouse they bite to kill their prey, they hold on and inject more venom. A person however, would "only" receive a defense bite and not get as much venom... or is that not true? And as for copperheads in Mass, I am from Mass originally and will be moving back after a 5 month stay in friggin "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" country. I lived in Saugus and always looked around the woods near the resevoire and in Lynn woods and never saw anything more than a garter snake around there. Any woods in that area of the state are host to many many late night keggers and the snakes would be very very hard to find. It seems hard to believe that copperheads would hang out in a dirt bike trail or any trail that people frequent in the hot season. Just my .02, and if there are confirmed sightings this year I will definitely be looking harder for them. -Joe Decareau

[Morti]

and would the speed in which a copperhead kills a mouse compare to the damage it would do to a human? When they bite the mouse they bite to kill their prey, they hold on and inject more venom. A person however, would "only" receive a defense bite and not get as much venom... or is that not true?

So you might only get a defensive bite. Heck you might get a dry bite. But then you might catch him on a bad day. He might decide that he really doesn't like you and unleash his reserves. You might be allergic to the venom. You might get bit on an artery and the venom might go into your cirulatory system. You might be perfectly ok... but there is a chance that you might loose a digit, an arm, or a leg... Or it might be much worse.

I personly don't put much stock in "might".

-Your Sick Uncle Morti.

[RhacBreeder]

Morti you're right, but I was more emphasizing the fact that the effect a snake's venom has on a little 2-3 ounce mouse wouldn't really compare to the effect it would have on a full grown, non-allergic, finger tip bitten man. But I will also add that I am not going to test any of these theories. I leave that to the guys at zoological imports, those guys are on snakebite shows more than the god damn animal planet logo. -Joe

[ItsJustJosh]

OK, i could be wrong here, and i'll guess that i probably am, but....

isn't there only one recorded death from copperhead bite, and on a small child, for that matter?

[copperheadgs1]

Copperheads north of Boston? No way, I have a million dollars in my pocket that says it was a milk snake. See copperheads on occasion in the Blue hills which is the Northern most part of its range!

[dubs]

i know what i found and have caught milksnakes as well but this was a copperhead if i wasn't in boulder co i would shopw you where they are at.

[copperheadgs1]

Hey Dub, My wife is from N. Reading and her parents still live there. There is not a rocky hillside with enough area to support an active den. If you could tell me the area maybe I could check it out anyway. I go on lots of goose chases. Not saying you don't know what you are looking at but experiance taught me to be sceptical. What part of town and streets etc. Now is the best time as I am finding Timber rattlesnakes in the Blue hills. It has been in the 80's here for the past several days.

[SNAKEWISPERA]

well u mite of held it a lot but i got bit by my royal and there post to be plasid
so all it takes it to get fed up and av a nip at u

[dubs]

i am talking about copperheads not timbers

[copperheadgs1]

I know it is copperheads you are talking about. I see both in the Blue Hills. There has never been a proven copperhead sighting north of the Blue Hills in Mass. If you did find one there then you would be in every scientific journal and reptile publication and would be famous. That is why I have my doubts. Years ago there was debate if there were copperheads in the Lynn Woods. There were known to be Timber rattlesnakes there until about 1900. One scientist who studied the area who said they may be in Lynn but after studying the area for years said he never found any there. Copperheads need rocky hillsides with southern exposure for denning areas with unbroken(no roads around) wooded/field/swamp areas for summer migrations but probably less than timbers. Looking at a topo map of N. Reading the area is not suited to the copperheads habitat needs. Copperheads do not "travel" in packs. They just happen to be found in the same area with other copperheads and maybe timbers because they share the same den sites so they can be seen in close proximaty in spring and fall.

[jiminy]

coperheadgs1
have you checked the area in person? sometimes the topos are not accurate enuf. "boots on the ground", if you know what i mean...
please post pics when you can, i luv 'em!
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l278/easypics4now/DSC00448-1.jpg

[copperheadgs1]

Hey jiminy did you find that timber in the Blue Hills? I have some good photos that I would like to post here but cannot figure how to get them on. Is there a key to click on?

[jiminy]

hi copperheadgs1
-go to the forum homepage
-scroll down to 'forum info and help'
-click on 'how do i'
-the first thread explains how to post pics.
you need to open an account with a pic host online. i used photobucket. its free. you cannot upload pics directly from your computer.
yes, that's a blue hills timber.

[Burm/Boa]

I use to work in North Reading. I actually been to this location. This area is not that big. And not much rock formation and ledges. Now if you would have said you seen this a but further up rt 125. Just a tad north east. Then I may think you might be onto something. I been finding large black racer populations up there in the rocks. I see the black racer snake sheds all around there too. Well last year I saw a big skin and it had the rough scales like a water snake, but I use to catch waters all the time growing up. The skin was a bit shreded up but if was def large, was def not a black racer. And I didnt think it was a water snake. i still not sure the kind of skin it was, but I def be up in and around that area watching. I also mapped out the ipswitch area. No sighting around there. Mostly fields and whatnot. Lots of waters, and milks but def no rattlers or copperheards..