TANEY COUNTY, Mo. (KY3) – Randy Dietz has found 47 copperheads in his yard so far this year. That breaks his previous record of 45, set two years ago.
Dietz, a reptile expert who has lived on his farm for more than 50 years, is not simply removing the snakes. He photographs each one, measures it, and assigns it a code based on the pattern of markings along its back.
A system built on saddle markings
“Those saddle markings are as unique as fingerprints,” Dietz said. “So I have a code where I will count back, starting at the neck, and count. And when they’re broken or misshapen, I record it. And then later, I can go back.”
Dietz has been tracking copperheads this way since around 2020, when he began noticing a higher-than-usual number on his property. He said he has handled venomous snakes for nearly 60 years and has never been bitten.
“Everyone who has an aversion or fear of snakes, somebody taught them that,” Dietz said. “I have never seen a little kid who was afraid of snakes. And my parents were very understanding. They taught me not to touch them until I learned. And so, I’ve never had a fear.”
Catch, relocate, repeat
When Dietz catches a copperhead, he places it in a blue barrel and transports it roughly 1,000 feet across his property to an old rock pile, where he measures the snake a second time before releasing it.
His records show that the relocations do not always hold.
“In the past, about 30 percent of the ones I’ve released came back to my yard,” Dietz said. “So that’s the mystery, is why they’re coming back to my yard.”
Property features may be a factor
Dietz has some theories. His property includes a spring-fed creek below the house and connects with thousands of acres of mostly undisturbed land. He also notes that some parts of the Ozarks appear to have higher copperhead populations than others.
Despite decades of observation, Dietz said the patterns in nature remain difficult to pin down.
“I’ve been on this farm for over 50 years,” he said. “And the one thing in nature that I found is consistent is that there is no consistency. It’s chaos.”
Dietz’s advice for people who are not experienced with snakes: do not put your hands somewhere you cannot see, use caution walking outside barefoot or in sandals after dark, and do not attempt to handle a snake without proper knowledge.
“Well, I’ve caught snakes all my life,” Dietz said. “I wanted to be in a place with snakes. So I guess, yeah. I got my wish, I guess.”
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