Copperhead, barefoot, front porch ~ almost ER! Caution: Graphic Photos

[GaNewChick]

I opened the front door around 10 tonight and 6" from the step was this little guy in strike mode ~ and I was barefoot. We've had so much rain today, I guess he was looking for dry land.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

yikes!

 

[jjdward]

HOLY CRAP!!!!! I've had my share of copperheads, but never almost stepped on one barefooted!!!! Thank goodness you are ok!!!!

 

[MandyH]

Holy crap is right, those dudes are bad news.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Wow--you got lucky!

Good thing you spotted him, otherwise things would probably be pretty bad for you right now.

 

[ChicknJ]

, sure am glad you are ok and there is one less copperhead!

 

[Stumpy]

That happened to me a couple of years ago, except it was a copperhead by the kitchen steps and I was wearing flip-flops ;-). It really gives one a start.

 

[willkatdawson]

Good job Ganewchick! Finally a dead snake that really was poisonous. I hear of so many harmless snakes and or helpful snakes ending up dead because of mistaken identity. So glad it didn't tag you before you realized it was there. This is a baby copperhead my chicks killed a while back. It was a tiny little thing with a sulfer colored tail. Still bad news though.

 

[GaNewChick]

If it is harmless they stay ... I like snakes. I'm just glad I wasn't letting the dogs out, that would have been a hefty after hours emergency vet trip!!!

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Really glad you looked where you walk!

I had a hound dog mix get bitten last year, but we didn't know he'd been bitten - I thought he's been stung by a bee. I gave him a Benadryl. The right side of his muzzle got swollen, but he survived the night. (I slept on the floor with him,

) That was about 10 p.m. Saturday when he was hit.

The next morning, he was on the sofa being pitiful, so I took a pic and uploaded it to the computer. While cropping it I finally saw the fang marks! Nearly had heart failure! Couldn't get the regular vet, but shot him an email, Emergency Clinic is highly expensive, 30 miles away and they said by phone that they couldn't do anything anyway.

The swelling started going down 2 days later, I just kept syringing water into his mouth. Later, the vet told me they don't keep antivenom on hand because it's so expensive and doesn't last well. All he would have done was keep the fluids going and watch for infection. He didn't really want to say if the Benadryl had helped or not.

We did find the snake and kill it. I vac-packed it and froze it, gave it to the vet's assistant on my next trip to town.

We too only kill the venomous snakes that get into the dog yard- all others slither through in peace.