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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
A system built on saddle markings<\/p>\n
\u201cThose saddle markings are as unique as fingerprints,\u201d Dietz said. \u201cSo I have a code where I will count back, starting at the neck, and count. And when they\u2019re broken or misshapen, I record it. And then later, I can go back.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone who has an aversion or fear of snakes, somebody taught them that,\u201d Dietz said. \u201cI 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\u2019ve never had a fear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Catch, relocate, repeat<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
His records show that the relocations do not always hold.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the past, about 30 percent of the ones I\u2019ve released came back to my yard,\u201d Dietz said. \u201cSo that\u2019s the mystery, is why they\u2019re coming back to my yard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Property features may be a factor<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Despite decades of observation, Dietz said the patterns in nature remain difficult to pin down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been on this farm for over 50 years,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the one thing in nature that I found is consistent is that there is no consistency. It\u2019s chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dietz\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019ve caught snakes all my life,\u201d Dietz said. \u201cI wanted to be in a place with snakes. So I guess, yeah. I got my wish, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n