Outdoor hazards to avoid this NC summer: ticks, snakes, gators

This collection of stories explores outdoor hazards that North Carolinians may face during summer and offers guidance on staying safe.

One story explains what to do if a copperhead bites your dog, including symptoms to watch for and why leashing your pet matters. Another article outlines how copperheads vary in color, which can complicate identification during walks in the woods.

Other reports describe how Eastern kingsnakes eat copperheads, making them beneficial for controlling venomous snake populations, and detail how snakes can be responsible for unexpected power outages in towns like Durham and Goldsboro. The presence of alligators in residential backyards is discussed, with advice on what to do when one wanders into your neighborhood.

Beachgoers can learn how to avoid stings from washed-up Portuguese man-of-war, while another story lists which snakes in North Carolina are skilled climbers and why they might wind up in trees or fences.

Read the stories below.

A copperhead snake looks up at the Nature Museum in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010. By AP Photo/Chuck Burton

NO. 1: NC’S COPPERHEAD SEASON IS HERE. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE COMMON VENOMOUS SNAKE

Copperheads are the only venomous snake you’re likely to encounter in the Triangle and central NC. Here’s how to identify and avoid them. | Published April 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted

Copperheads are the most common venomous snake in South Carolina. Local expert, Todd Metz, said he’s already started to see them in the Myrtle Beach area following the winter hibernation season. According to Metz, this year is not different in terms of the number of snakes he’s seen compared to previous years. By Janet Blackmon Morgan

NO. 2: A COPPERHEAD BIT YOUR DOG? WHAT NC VETERINARIANS SAY YOU SHOULD DO

Humans know to leave snakes alone if we see them. Dogs don’t. In case a copperhead strikes your furry friend, keep these tips in mind. | Published April 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted Brooke Cain

NO. 3: COPPERHEADS IN NC CAN VARY IN COLOR. SEE WHAT THEY CAN LOOK LIKE

To identify a copperhead, you can’t just go by color alone. Here’s what gives some copperheads a different look. | Published May 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted

Alligators are native to the North Carolina coast and they typically avoid contact with humans, experts say.

NO. 4: LARGE GATOR — MISSING 10 INCHES OF ITS TAIL — FOUND IN BACKYARD, NC CAPTORS SAY

It may have lost the tail in a gator brawl, experts say | Published April 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

A Eastern King Snake By Corey Lowenstein

NO. 5: THIS NONVENOMOUS NC SNAKE EATS COPPERHEADS. HERE’S HOW TO IDENTIFY IT

It’s a good idea to leave snakes alone. That really, really applies to this one. | Published May 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted

NO. 6: SNAKES ARE TO BLAME FOR 3 RECENT NC POWER OUTAGES, DUKE ENERGY SAYS

Thousands of Triangle customers lost power recently. Don’t blame it on the rain or trees. | Published May 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted

Their balloon-like shape and colors of blue, purple or pink can be alluring, but avoid the Portugese man-of-war in the water and on land. The sting is extremely painful, and tentacles can release venom for weeks after the animal dies. By Elizabeth Condon

NO. 7: SQUISHY HAZARDS WASH UP ALONG NC COAST. HOW TO AVOID GETTING STUNG AT THE BEACH

With this sea creature spotted on some NC beaches, strands of tentacles can stretch from 30 to 100 feet long. | Published May 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Martha Quillin

NO. 8: CAN NC SNAKES CLIMB UP FENCES, TREES OR THE SIDE OF A HOUSE? SOME CAN

Snakes lack arms and legs, but they are still able to climb. Some do it better than others, though. | Published June 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by Renee Umsted

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.