1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Good post, Tar Devil, and very true.
While Cottonmouths are territorial and will inverstigate any disturbance in their vicinity, they aren't actively hoping to start trouble. They'll also enter a boat...not because they're looking for a fight...but to rest and sun themselves and maybe get a better scent of the air around them in search of prey. They don't know that it's a boat and they don't know that people are in it. Sorry. They're just not that smart and they don't want a confrontation because they know that they can be hurt or killed. Cottonmouths are active hunters and they won't hesitate to defend themselves aggressively if molested.
Copperheads take a different approach. They're ambush predators and prefer to lie in wait for a fat mouse to walk by...but some people seem to believe that their intentions are sinister...that they're waiting for a person to get close enough for them to strike. In truth, when they feel heavy vibrations, they either run or lie still, hoping that they won't be seen...and will only bite if they feel threatened. I've literally stepped on a Copperhead's tail and saw the critter haul snake in the other direction. I don't know who it scared more...me or the snake.
The best active defense against snake bite is to carry a walking stick, and sweep or prod the area where you're about to place your foot. Woodpiles and tall grass situated along building walls are good places to get hit by Copperheads.
Most people are bitten because they simply won't leave the snake alone when they find one, and they insist on trying to handle it. It outnumbers even the foot and ankle strikes that come from accidentally stepping on one.
While Cottonmouths are territorial and will inverstigate any disturbance in their vicinity, they aren't actively hoping to start trouble. They'll also enter a boat...not because they're looking for a fight...but to rest and sun themselves and maybe get a better scent of the air around them in search of prey. They don't know that it's a boat and they don't know that people are in it. Sorry. They're just not that smart and they don't want a confrontation because they know that they can be hurt or killed. Cottonmouths are active hunters and they won't hesitate to defend themselves aggressively if molested.
Copperheads take a different approach. They're ambush predators and prefer to lie in wait for a fat mouse to walk by...but some people seem to believe that their intentions are sinister...that they're waiting for a person to get close enough for them to strike. In truth, when they feel heavy vibrations, they either run or lie still, hoping that they won't be seen...and will only bite if they feel threatened. I've literally stepped on a Copperhead's tail and saw the critter haul snake in the other direction. I don't know who it scared more...me or the snake.
The best active defense against snake bite is to carry a walking stick, and sweep or prod the area where you're about to place your foot. Woodpiles and tall grass situated along building walls are good places to get hit by Copperheads.
Most people are bitten because they simply won't leave the snake alone when they find one, and they insist on trying to handle it. It outnumbers even the foot and ankle strikes that come from accidentally stepping on one.