MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — With cooler temperatures creeping in, snakes often start to creep out into warmer areas and now Montgomery Parks is asking people to be aware.
According to a post on NextDoor by Montgomery Parks Social Media Specialist Marilyn Sklar, residents should keep an eye out for copperhead snakes. During the cooler temps, snakes take advantage of heat-gathering hard surfaces like rocks, logs, roads, and trails to bask and help regulate their body temperatures.
Sklar warns that people should remain cautious because eastern copperheads could be crossing or basking on trails.
Even though copperheads are venomous they are not typically aggressive. "The snakes prefer to remain undetected, relying on cryptic camouflage for protection," Sklar said in the post.
But, even though the camouflage is for the protection it could be why they sometimes have close interaction with people and pets. This is why the park is asking people to watch their steps.
Here are some key features of copperheads:
- Hour-glass shaped banding pattern along the body
- Elliptical-shaped pupils (like cats)
- Triangular-shaped head
- Young copperheads also exhibit a bright, yellow-tipped tail
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