But with North Carolina under<\/a> a drought, could that impact how many copperheads we see and wher we see them? We asked several experts, and here\u2019s what they had to say.<\/p>\n Copperheads tend to move around more when temperatures go up. So, we wanted to know if North Carolina\u2019s lack of rain could impact the number of copperhead sightings this spring.<\/p>\n There\u2019s not a clear answer, said Falyn Owens, wildlife extension biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the one hand, droughts can lead to water sources drying up, meaning that all sorts of wildlife \u2014 including copperheads and other snakes \u2014 may have to travel further during their day-to-day movements to visit reliable water sources\u201d to drink from, Owens told The N&O in a Friday, March 27 email. \u201cOn the other hand, copperheads have the ability to hunker down and wait for more ideal conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Does that mean it\u2019s more likely you\u2019ll encounter a copperhead this year? That\u2019s also complicated.<\/p>\n \u201cIn terms of whether people may see more or fewer copperheads out and about during dry weather, I don\u2019t think we can say either way,\u201d Owens said. \u201cIt may very well depend on the snake and the particular conditions of its immediate surroundings. The key is knowing that whenever it\u2019s warm out (over about 60\u00b0F), copperheads and other snakes are likely to be active.\u201d<\/p>\n Another perspective about the drought comes from Talena Chavis, owner and operator of the Raleigh-area business NC Snake Catcher. In Chavis\u2019 experience, \u201ccopperheads and water do not really go together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes there\u2019s a belief system that copperheads are near water,\u201d Chavis told The N&O in a Thursday, March 26, phone interview. \u201cAnd what is almost always occurring \u2014 not always, but the majority of the time \u2014 people are seeing a Northern water snake, which has the same pattern, but upside down.\u201d<\/p>\n NC Snake Catcher has already received two calls about copperheads, the earliest ever in a snake season. Those calls \u2014 combined with copperheads not liking water \u2014 make Chavis think there won\u2019t be any major impacts on the snakes\u2019 activity this year.<\/p>\n One point that\u2019s clear is copperheads usually become more active when it gets warmer. For this reason, people are urged to put on gloves for yard work and look before reaching under piles of brush. And if you see a copperhead<\/a>, it\u2019s best to leave the area, according to the wildlife commission and past reporting from The N&O.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Drought conditions in NC<\/p>\n All of North Carolina<\/a> is in a drought, with much of the state at moderate or severe levels.<\/p>\n But the situation is more serious in the Charlotte and Rocky Mount areas, which are experiencing extreme drought<\/a>, according to maps from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think back to January, we had, of course, the two winter storms, which gave us some moisture for our lakes and our streams and in the ground,\u201d Barrett Smith, hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh, told The N&O in a Thursday, March 26 phone interview. \u201cAnd then we\u2019ve had a series of rain events even since then, through the middle of March. None of them have been significant to help us out in really alleviating the drought.\u201d<\/p>\n In the Triangle, the forecast calls for showers and thunderstorms<\/a> starting late Friday, March 27. Less than 1 inch of rain is predicted overnight, but Smith said that won\u2019t be enough to fill reservoirs and bring rivers closer to normal levels.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to need a big weather system that gives us 2 or 3 inches of rainfall to really help,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n Ask the North Carolina Service Journalism Team <\/p>\n Questions about life in North Carolina? Or have a tip or story idea you\u2019d like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you.<\/p>\n You can submit your question by filling out this form<\/a>. <\/p>\n Related Stories from Raleigh News & Observer<\/p>\n A copperhead watches visitors from its habitat at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, N.C. Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Chuck Liddy cliddy@newsobserver.com How could the drought impact copperheads?<\/p>\n
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The most common venomous snake in North Carolina is the copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix, which is found in all 100 counties. Janet Blackmon Morgan jblackmon@thesunnews.com <\/p>\n