As I’m entering my first spring in Raleigh, I’m learning Raleigh has snakes. Snakes are one of the things that I have an unreasonable fear of, and I really am not a fan of encountering them. Below are my two first experiences:
Encounter 1
- When: Sunday, May 3rd – 1:00pm
- Where: Greenway trail off Anderson Dr – mile marker 1/4
- What: 4-foot (ish) black snake with yellow bands
- Action: Turned around and went home – shortened my run
Encounter 2
- When: Sunday, May 10th- 4:30pm
- Where: Greenway trail near Lassiter Mill Rd
- What: Copperhead (couldn’t tell length, it was coiled up)
- Action: Sprinted for a while, ran in the middle of the Greenway path the rest of the way (avoiding the sides of the trail/grass)
Has anyone else seen any snakes this spring? Any idea when we’ll stop seeing them? Tips?
Speaking of snakes, my latest blog post – http://tinyurl.com/r4bwv7
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Haven’t seen any, but am paranoid now and I blame you!
I’ve seen Copperheads crossing the Greenway around Shelley Lake, so keep your eyes open!
My husband was chaperoning our daughter’s last field trip. They went to Laurel Hills Park to check out all the wildlife near and in the pond there. They netted fish, frogs, spiders and snakes. The snakes were water moccasins…YUCK!
So far in my backyard this spring, have seen one big ass copperhead and a couple brown water snakes (also called northern water smakes). We live near a creek so it’s snake heaven out there.
I saw 4 black snakes last weekend at Umstead – I wonder what the snake to people ratio is in Raleigh…
While we should be careful around wild snakes, not all of them are bad. And, remember, they help control rodent populations – so they do play an important role in our society.
It’s best to know what to do if you come upon a snake on a jog. Just move slowly. Quick movements can startle the snake. Remember – it wants to get away from you. It’s just as scared as you are. Typically, if you keep a good distance and leave it alone, it will leave you alone.
Of course, Jess you are welcome to come over and play with my boa constrictor anytime – i promise it won’t bit. (Just give you a little squeeze.)
Here’s a good educational article about poisonous snakes.
http://www.squidoo.com/poisonoussnakeidentification
Here’s a link to a North Carolina snake identification application from Davidson College:
http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/SnakeID/search.asp
Here’s some advice from the SPCA for pets:
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/snake-bite-safety-prevention-tips.html