Copperhead for Antivenom?

Hi guys. Today, I caught a very lively young copperhead. It's about 8 inches long.

I'm happy to kill it, as I am no friend to venomous snakes slithering around my house. But, I thought I'd rather try to find a good use for it, if I could.

Recently, I have read online that the world has a shortage of antivenom.

Are there any local organizations taking in venomous snakes to use them to make more antivenom?

Any other suggestions for good uses for this thing before I just kill it?

I have a suggestion, take it away from your house somewhere and let it go.

Let's see him!!

Burt Gummer said:

I have a suggestion, take it away from your house somewhere and let it go.

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If I'm just gonna let him go, I'd rather kill it.

But if some local group would use his venom for good, I'd gladly hand him over.

Releasing him would just be putting another family at risk somewhere down the road.

Alabamacoastie said:

If I'm just gonna let him go, I'd rather kill it.

But if some local group would use his venom for good, I'd gladly hand him over.

Releasing him would just be putting another family at risk somewhere down the road.

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Burt Gummer said:

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Why don't you want me to kill it? Do copperheads serve a good purpose in the environment besides biting barefoot kids and old ladies digging in their garden?

He's in the bottom of a 5 gallon primo water jug... Hopefully you can zoom in and see him...

Lol that’s not even a copperhead. This is the reason people shouldn’t mess with snakes if they don’t know any better.

Burt Gummer said:

Lol that’s not even a copperhead. This is the reason people shouldn’t mess with snakes if they don’t know any better.

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What is it?

Looks like a dekays brown snake

Alabamacoastie said:

What is it?

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Looks like a Dekays Brown snake to me. I’m certainly no expert, but that’s not a copperhead.

Baby copperheads have green tails to start with and the pattern doesn’t match.


herpsofnc.org

Check this website out for reference. Just cause it has a pattern doesn’t make it a copperhead.

Glad he’s still kickin’ so-to-speak.

Ok. I'll take him down the road and turn him loose.

You've done your good deed for the day Burt. I'll let this one live to hiss another day...

Oodalolee Oodalolee, Golly What a Day!

That very much looks like a Brown snake to me. I see them all the time where I live. When working outside in the garden (semi rock garden) I just pick them up and move them out of the way. They love the rocks by the pond the best.

Should add the first time I ever saw one I thought it was the Brown snake that live in the water.

ECNC said:

That very much looks like a Brown snake to me. I see them all the time where I live. When working outside in the garden (semi rock garden) I just pick them up and move them out of the way. They love the rocks by the pond the best.

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They'll do a good job keeping the slug population thinned out.

BBD280 said:

They'll do a good job keeping the slug population thinned out.

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I did not know that. They never bothered me, so I do not bother them.

two quotes, and two links....
1. “There’s been a controversy going on for the past decade and a half as to whether or not copperhead bites were severe enough to warrant anti-venom at all,” Bush explained.
2. “For adults, they might get a little ‘over-beveraged’ … and they may think I need to handle or manage the snake with my hands, and that’s how they get bit,” Bush said. “Those are our demographics.”
1. https://www.northcarolinahealthnews...-bites-the-biggest-pain-can-be-in-the-wallet/
2. http://www.nastox.org/index.html

When I told my wife that they eat slugs, she said, "Go put him in my garden! "

So, here he is in his new home, with the pumpkins and squash...

Thanks for the help guys!

Usually a young copperhead will have a bright green tail.

Alabamacoastie said:

Thanks for the help guys!

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Thanks for checking here, first.

turkeydance said:

two quotes, and two links....
1. “There’s been a controversy going on for the past decade and a half as to whether or not copperhead bites were severe enough to warrant anti-venom at all,” Bush explained.
l

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Speaking as the father of a 4yo boy that got bit on the foot by a copperhead, the Dr at UNC ER did say that the antivenom could cause more problems than the actual bite. On the scale of snake venoms, the copperheads is relatively mild. As long as you are not allergic to it, the worst symptom is the swelling. Depending on where you receive the bite, the swelling can cause complications such as compartment syndrome.

My son was lucky and received his bite on the heel of his foot. It had plenty of room to swell and cause no lasting affects. He was back to total normal 2 weeks later. The worst was immediately after the bite and about 3 days later the swelling started to go down.

I was bitten on the heel by sumpin' with two fangs... never saw it. Felt about the same as a hornet sting. I figure it was a copperhaid.

BowWow said:

Usually a young copperhead will have a bright green tail.

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There is only one definitive way to ID a copperhaid... the color of a young'un's tail, the shape of the haid, both are old tales that should Not Be Used to ID any snake.

Copperhaids have a pattern that is like a barbell bent over their back. The pattern is broad toward the belly, and narrow over the back. It is distinctive in this way, and no other snake has the same pattern.

In reality if you want it dead, kill it.

These kind of decisions rest solely with what you are comfortable with.

Alabamacoastie said:

Why don't you want me to kill it? Do copperheads serve a good purpose in the environment besides biting barefoot kids and old ladies digging in their garden?

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They control lyme disease better than most things.

since we are posting about actual envenomations....
my wife's friend was doing stupid things and won a stupid prize.

she was struck at her ankle by a copperhead.
we know because she brought the mutilated carcass with her to the ER.
(she is stupid...but TOUGH...she has to be to survive) she was not allowed
to have any painkillers since those might mask the symptoms of further complications,
which was no problem...she is TOUGH.
no residual after-effects.
still TOUGH.

turkeydance said:

since we are posting about actual envenomations....
my wife's friend was doing stupid things and won a stupid prize.

she was struck at her ankle by a copperhead.
we know because she brought the mutilated carcass with her to the ER.
(she is stupid...but TOUGH...she has to be to survive) she was not allowed
to have any painkillers since those might mask the symptoms of further complications,
which was no problem...she is TOUGH.
no residual after-effects.
still TOUGH.

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What the hell? We never withheld painkillers.

Crofab is usually worse than the bite itself. I hated giving it, it had a lot of side effects none of which were good or easy to manage. People usually ended up a lot sicker with the antidote than if we just left the bite alone.

MacEntyre said:

I was bitten on the heel by sumpin' with two fangs... never saw it. Felt about the same as a hornet sting. I figure it was a copperhaid.


There is only one definitive way to ID a copperhaid... the color of a young'un's tail, the shape of the haid, both are old tales that should Not Be Used to ID any snake.

Copperhaids have a pattern that is like a barbell bent over their back. The pattern is broad toward the belly, and narrow over the back. It is distinctive in this way, and no other snake has the same pattern.

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This is not true for all copperheads. There are different subspecies and some just have even bands of color without the barbell shape.

NKD said:

This is not true for all copperheads. There are different subspecies and some just have even bands of color without the barbell shape.

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Yer correct... 5 sub-species with similar but differing markings.

1. The northern copperhead (A. contortrix mokasen) has crossbands that are wide along the sides and narrowing along the back. It has spots on its back between the bands.
   
   
2. The southern copperhead (A. contortrix contortrix) has crossbands that are wide along the sides and that are distinctively constricting, usually not even joining, along the back.
   
   
3. The Osage copperhead (A. contortrix phaeogaster) has crossbands similar to, but darker than, those of the northern copperhead, and it has no spots between the crossbands.
   
   
4. The broad-banded copperhead (A. contortrix laticinctus) has crossbands that are wide at the sides and irregularly shaped along the snake's back.
   
   
5. The Trans-Pecos copperhead has crossbands that are wide at the sides and irregularly shaped along the back but that also are marked by a pale patch on the sides, at the base of the bands. Additionally, it has a strongly patterned belly.