Posted on 04/27/2017 12:23:14 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The latest confounding image being shared on social media also teaches an important lesson – when hiking in areas with venomous snakes, don’t assume you’ll be able to see it before it’s too late.
Still not convinced? Join the people who have been trying to find the snake lurking in this Twitter photo posted Sunday by snake biologist Helen Plylar, according to Mashable.
“Received this from a fellow HERper this morning. No caption needed, the task was implied: “can you spot the snake?”
Helen🐍👩🏼🔬 @SssnakeySci Received this from a fellow HERper this morning. No caption needed, the task was implied: "can you spot the snake?" 🐍 7:16 AM - 23 Apr 2017 5,740 5,740 Retweets 22,903 22,903 likes Somewhere in the photo, which Plylar said was sent to her by a man in Texas named Jerry Davis, is a copperhead snake.
“Cute but venomous, so no touchy!” Helen tweeted.
Since the photo went viral, Plylar pinned this tweet to her account after receiving at least one photo of a dead snake:
Helen🐍👩🏼🔬 @SssnakeySci For everyone enjoying this puzzle, please remember: Snakes deserve to live just as we do. Treat them with care & respect, not hate & fear. https://twitter.com/SssnakeySci/status/856149745827491840 … 8:29 AM - 25 Apr 2017 106 106 Retweets 239 239 likes
Still can’t find it and ready to jump to the answer? Scroll down to see the copperhead:
I’ve seen them hiking along the NY/NJ border (we have copperheads and timber rattlers as the only poisonous snakes here, and as far as I know nobody has died from a bite from either in recorded history). They feel you coming through ground vibrations, and will try to avoid you; copperheads are more dangerous than the rattlers because they are thicker/slower, and will have a harder time getting clear before you are on top of them. Timber rattlers are dangerous for rock climbers. Sometimes poisonous snakes give a “dry bite” to warn off potential predators; the venom is really a digestive aid and of little use for something it can’t eat.
The scariest thing is how snakes will startle you as you walk along, darting away when you hadn’t even seen them. Largest I’ve seen is a black rat snake; they can grow to nine feet (though they aren’t poisonous, and also flee when you approach).
That’s a juvenile copperhead, pretty tiny. Very well camouflaged, though.
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