This morning a neighbor said, "Susan, did you hear about the Copperhead Snake sightings in Wildewood Springs?"
I had heard this and told her what I've learned. I'm posting it here to spread some calm (unless the sight of any snake is scary).
It is highly unlikely anyone saw a Copperhead.
Why?
Knowing that "the Copperhead Snake is often misidentified," here is a little information from the IFAS website:
Copperheads and timber rattlesnakes have a limited range in Florida. Copperheads only occur in a small area of Florida's Panhandle just west of Tallahassee."
However, I'd bet ten dollars on the possibility that it was a common, non-venomous Corn/Red Rat Snake. I've seen Red-Shouldered Hawks carrying young red-rat snakes to feed their chicks and I witnessed at least one feeding of this species to the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron chicks.
The corn or red rat snake has no fangs or venom. They kill their prey (rat, mice, small birds) by constriction. They have an imperiled status and are protected in south Florida and the Keys. (Learn more about the native, corn/red rat Snake, here.)
So what does a Copperhead Snake look like? I understand the confusion. I see a resemblance. A photo below is a Copperhead Snake. Information about the Copperhead Snake is here.
Knowing the location of a sighting is important. Remember the post I made about Chickadees? I mistook a Black-capped Chickadee for a Carolina Chickadee. Neighbor John and professional birders helped me understand that the location of my sighting determines what type of bird it is. Just like snakes.
Looking at the bigger picture of sharing our habitat, I expect to see a variety of critters in our Audubon-certified neighborhood. I received a good suggestion from a wildlife professional—he said this about walking in a wetland or woodland, "Use owl eyes, walk slowly" and he said above all, enjoy nature.
NOTES
This University of Florida web page has helpful information about Central Florida snakes.
This IFAS page tells us what to do if we encounter a snake.
