Snakes in North Carolina? (Sanford, King: homes, scorpions, construction)

[Cassie]

Originally Posted by Carolina_native

Ofcourse they can. If an alligator can make its way onto a golf course in eastern NC, then snakes can be anywhere. You cant stop them.

The predominant and "most feared" is the CopperHead.

My husband killed a copperhead on our front porch this morning. A young un, but not a baby. Called me out to look at it. Yep, it's a copperhead. Not the first I've seen and won't be the last.

We have black snakes and garter snakes, too. He won't kill those.

Since we have a creek on the front of our property ( runs under a stone bridge) there are probably water moccasins. Haven't run into one yet. Would prefer not to. Had one in my kitchen when I lived outside Chapel Hill. It was coiled on top of a door and when I entered, uncoiled and hurtled down, missing my shoulder by inches. The 13 year old who lived next door speared it with a 3 pronged frog gigger. Never did figure out how it got in the house.

We went to a cook-out at friend's house last night. One of the funniest (true) stories told was by their grandma, who was pruning some plants in a planter on her front porch where a Copperhead was coiled. She didn't see it until it raised its head, which she then tried to cut off with her gardening shears. The snake's head was too thick to cut off but she had caught it between the shears. She calmly called for "Pop" (her husband) to come get it. He dispensed of it with a hoe.

It's the south. Y'all who are movin' here keep a hoe or shovel handy I'm fixin' to pick up one of those frog gigger thig-a-ma-jigs too.

Cassie

[Catrick]

Ummmmmmmmmm, Cassie, where do you live?

[Cassie]

Originally Posted by Catrick

Ummmmmmmmmm, Cassie, where do you live?

If I told you that it would spoil all the fun of moving here.

Just kidding. We're about 3 miles outside of the NW Guilford county line, (Triad area) but all the snakes in the state don't live here.

Cassie

[Catrick]

Originally Posted by Cassie

If I told you that it would spoil all the fun of moving here.

Just kidding. We're about 3 miles outside of the NW Guilford county line, (Triad area) but all the snakes in the state don't live here.

Cassie

Yup. That's the area we are looking at. Well, at least we will know to be aware. They don't bother me too much but my husband hates them. No way am I going to get to see "Snakes on a Plane".

[Mountain Sprite]

Originally Posted by mm34b

Only if there's plenty of live food available such as mice or other small rodents. If you live in the Piedmont region of NC, the only harmful ones are the Copperhead and Cottonmouth everything else in the Piedmont is harmless. Most of the Cottonmouth's territory is in the Eastern Plains region.

Would Sanford be in that "Eastern Plain" region? I'm considering buying a manufactured home on an acre lot about 20 minutes from Sanford. There are 5 other houses around us but that doesn't allow for a lot of activity. There are shallow wooded areas that separate the lots from each other. There aren't any lakes or streams nearby that I know of.

The last thing I want is to come across a cottonmouth or a copperhead and croak my first year there. Are they very aggressive?

I have lived in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California for five years. Here Rattlesnakes and King Snakes are our number one offenders(both are poisonous) but I've yet to run into either of them. I have two dogs who cause quite a lot of activity and activity is the last thing our snakes crave.

[mm34b]

Originally Posted by Mountain Sprite

Would Sanford be in that "Eastern Plain" region? I'm considering buying a manufactured home on an acre lot about 20 minutes from Sanford. There are 5 other houses around us but that doesn't allow for a lot of activity. There are shallow wooded areas that separate the lots from each other. There aren't any lakes or streams nearby that I know of.

The last thing I want is to come across a cottonmouth or a copperhead and croak my first year there. Are they very aggressive?

I have lived in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California for five years. Here Rattlesnakes and King Snakes are our number one offenders(both are poisonous) but I've yet to run into either of them. I have two dogs who cause quite a lot of activity and activity is the last thing our snakes crave.

Sanford (Lee County) is located in the Piedmont Region of NC.

Neither the Copperhead or Cottonmouth are considered aggressive. They will do all they can to avoid you, but will strike as a last resort in order to flee. A snake can only strike with authority within a distance of one-half its body length. Most bites occur when placing your hands or feet in areas of low or no visibility or trying to capture one. You should be fine as long as you keep that in mind. If you're bitten by a poisonous snake, you'll have two puncture wounds. If the snake is non-poisonous, you'll have what looks like a "U" shape series of scratches.

[ripath]

Originally Posted by mm34b

Sanford (Lee County) is located in the Piedmont Region of NC.

Neither the Copperhead or Cottonmouth are considered aggressive. They will do all they can to avoid you, but will strike as a last resort in order to flee. A snake can only strike with authority within a distance of one-half its body length. Most bites occur when placing your hands or feet in areas of low or no visibility or trying to capture one. You should be fine as long as you keep that in mind. If you're bitten by a poisonous snake, you'll have two puncture wounds. If the snake is non-poisonous, you'll have what looks like a "U" shape series of scratches.

I also understand that the small, "baby" snakes are more "dangerous" than the adult ones. Reason being, the adult has learned to control how much venom he injects (don't recall why), whereas the babys dump it all in one bite.

[Cassie]

Originally Posted by ripath

I also understand that the small, "baby" snakes are more "dangerous" than the adult ones. Reason being, the adult has learned to control how much venom he injects (don't recall why), whereas the babys dump it all in one bite.

I think this is mostly folklore. A baby snake has smaller venom glands, smaller fangs, and while an adult snake can control the amount of venom it injects, it doesn't have to. It can dump it all in one bite too, unless it's just used most or all of it up killing prey.

My philosophy is that no poisonous baby snake 'round our house should have the opportunity to grow up to be an adult. I'm not partial to the adult poisonous ones either.

I made my peace with black snakes and garter snakes. Just part of living in the country. That's as far as I go.



Cassie

[I'minformed2]

Only on the air planes!

[Cassie]

Originally Posted by i'minformed

Only on the air planes!

LOL.

I plan on missing that movie ---forever.



Cassie