Where do copperhead snakes go when it gets cold in NC? We asked the experts
The Carolinas are experiencing some bone-chilling cold (and even some snow) in these early winter days.
We’re bundled up in our coats and cranking the heat in our homes. What are the snakes up to?
We’re especially interested in learning about copperheads, the only venomous snake you’re likely to encounter in the Triangle and central North Carolina. (Rattlesnakes can be found to the east and west of us, and cottonmouths to the southeast.)
As always, there’s no need to panic if you see one. The short version of copperhead best practices include, according to local snake experts:
Keep a sharp eye open for snakes while outside.
Watch where you step (especially when wearing sandals or flip-flops).
Wear gloves when reaching into weeds, bushes or pine straw.
Keep a much closer watch on nosy dogs who might poke their snouts into spots where copperheads like to rest.
If you see one, leave it alone.
For this story, we spoke with Jeff Hall and Falyn Owens, snake experts and wildlife biologists with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, to learn what the snakes in our region do — and if the practices above still hold true — as temperatures drop.
Here’s what to know about copperheads and other local snakes during our cool seasons.
Do snakes hibernate?
Snakes and other reptiles do not hibernate.
Since they are ectothermic (meaning “heated from the outside”), they brumate, Owens said.
Brumation is similar to hibernation, but brumating animals do not fall into a deep sleep and may be active during the brumation period, says WildSnakes.org. Hibernating mammals do so based on availability of food, not necessarily temperature. (Some tropical mammals hibernate when it’s plenty warm out, but during the dry season when food and water are scarce.)
“That’s why whenever the temperature is over 60˚F, snakes can be active, even if it’s in the dead of winter. It’s also why between about 50˚ and 60˚F, snakes can be active but are usually sluggish,” Owens said.
Where do snakes/copperheads go as it gets cold?
Snakes across North Carolina brumate individually in holes in the ground, Hall said.
Very few species can make their own holes, so they often find stump holes and rodent burrows to spend much of the cool season.
Do snakes use the same spot each year?
Usually, yes.
“Snakes know their landscapes very well and will remember from year to year which sites they’ve used,” Hall said.
“They may switch sites across years but often return to the same hole in the ground year after year.”
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Key temperatures for NC snakes
▪ Above 60˚F: Snakes will be fully active, but they may seek cooler shelter in very high temperatures. Keep an eye out for snakes. If you see one, give it space so it doesn’t feel like it needs to defend itself.
▪ Between 50 °F and 60 °F: Snakes might be awake and moving around, but it’s too cold for them to be fully active. You might find snakes basking in the sun to warm up, especially on warm rocks or asphalt.
▪ In the 50s °F and below: Snakes consistently stay in their places in the ground. They’re brumating, and it’s too cold for them to be active.
▪ Freezing temps: When we have freezing temps for several days in a row, Hall said, snakes will really be hunkered down, and it’s extra unlikely they’ll be out basking (more on this below). About the only time you’ll see a snake in these conditions is one that’s sick or injured, and they’d likely die from freezing temps.
Some snake species are more tolerant of cooler temperatures (though only slightly), so there may be a few exceptions to the norm.
Can you see snakes in NC in the winter?
Yes. Even in the fall and winter, snakes will periodically come out in the daytime when temperatures are higher. You could even see them at dawn or dusk on especially warm days, Hall said.
In Raleigh, we’ve previously found copperheads sunning themselves in January.
Some snakes like to bask at or near their brumation sites.
Do snakes’ behavior change when it’s cold?
Yes. That’s because snakes are ectothermic, meaning they are influenced by the temperatures around them.
“On a warm day, they are warm. On a cool day, they are cool,” Hall said.
If snakes are caught out of their brumation spots on a cold day, they will be sluggish and lethargic. You could encounter a coiled snake that doesn’t move when approached, and that’s because it isn’t warm enough to expend energy to retreat.
“Sometimes people misinterpret this behavior as ‘aggressive’ but if the temperatures are low, the snake simply cannot move away easily,” Hall said.
Can you get bitten by a snake/copperhead when it’s cold outside?
Yes, there is still a chance you can get bitten, though it’s incredibly small.
This is more likely on warmer days within the winter months, as it’s common to have copperheads and other snakes out in the sun on days in the 60s and 70s °F.
“Of course, there’s a fairly small chance of getting bitten by a snake in the spring and summer, so the chances in winter are super low,” Hall said.
Copperhead snake bites are rarely fatal to humans, but they can be painful and expensive to treat.
What do copperheads look like?
Copperhead snakes are brownish-gray in color with an hourglass-shaped pattern on their backs, which resembles a Hershey’s Kiss.
Newly born or very young copperheads will resemble their parents — except they’ll have a bright yellow or greenish-tipped tail that darkens pretty quickly. Adult copperheads grow to about 3 feet long.
A copperhead’s pattern looks like a line of Hershey’s kisses sitting in a row, Owens said, and the kisses are darker than the background. (A local non-venomous snake, the northern watersnake, has the reverse pattern — darker “tornadoes” over a lighter background. These snakes are usually found near water, as they eat fish and amphibians.)
Do copperheads give birth in the fall?
Baby copperheads are mostly born in late August or early September.
A few may be born as early as mid-August or as late as early October, Jeff Beane, herpetology collection manager at the N.C. Museum of Natural Science in Raleigh, previously told The News & Observer.
What to do if you’re bitten by a copperhead (or other snake)
If you’ve been bitten by a copperhead or other venomous snake, follow NC Poison Control’s advice:
Sit down and stay calm.
Gently wash the area with warm, soapy water.
Remove any jewelry or tight clothing near the bite site.
Keep the bitten area still, if possible, and raise it to heart level.
Call NC Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
If a snakebite victim is having chest pain, difficulty breathing, face swelling, or has lost consciousness, call 911 immediately.
You should not:
Cut the bitten area to try to drain the venom. This can worsen the injury.
Ice the area. Icing causes additional tissue damage.
Make and apply a tourniquet or any tight bandage. It’s better for the venom to flow through the body than for it to stay in one area.
Suck or use a suction device to remove the venom.
Attempt to catch or kill the snake.
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 8:31 AM with the headline "Where do copperhead snakes go when it gets cold in NC? We asked the experts."
