Biologists warn of more snake sightings amid warmer temperatures

Increased temperatures in Raleigh are causing more snakes to become active near trails and gardens, prompting warnings from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Posted 5/1/2025, 10:17:34 PM Updated 5/2/2025, 12:58:06 AM

THE FLOWERS OF THE MOST POPULAR

GIFT HAS ALWAYS FOLLOWED BY

CARDS AND SPECIAL OUTINGS.

A FEW VISITED PARKS OR TRAILS

TO ENJOY THE WARM WEATHER

RECENTLY. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

BIOLOGIST SAY HIGHER TEMPS

COULD BRING OUT MORE SNAKES.

>> WRAL'S WHEN SNYDER HAS THE

WARNING FROM EXPERTS AND THE

TYPES OF SNAKES, YOU MIGHT SEE

THE MOST

>> WELL, 60 DEGREES, ANYTHING

ABOVE THAT. AND BIOLOGISTS, A

SNAKE ACTIVITY IS LIKELY TO

RISE. AND WITH A RECORD OF

WARMER TEMPS RECENTLY IN PARTS

OF THE TRIANGLE, IT MAY BE TIME

TO WATCH WHERE YOU STEP A HIKER

IN ARIZONA NATIVE JOE BRONSTEIN

IS AMONG THE MANY ALONG

RALEIGH'S TRAILS. NOW ON THE

LOOKOUT FOR SNAKES FOR SETTING

IT IN OTHER STATES, NORTH

CAROLINA, WITH WARMER

TEMPERATURES. RESEARCHERS NOTE

SIGHTINGS COULD GO UP. IT'S

SOMETHING BRONSTEIN SAYS HE'S

EXPERIENCED RECENTLY WITH MY

APARTMENT COMPLEX, SENDING OUT

SOME MORNINGS AND STUFF ABOUT

IT. I'VE BEEN EXTRA VIGILANT.

HE SAID THAT SOME PEOPLE

WALKING THEIR DOGS AROUND THE

PROPERTY AND SEEING SOME LIGHT

COPPERHEAD SNAKES WITH MORE

SNAKE ACTIVITY. RESEARCHERS

SAY IT COULD LEAD TO MORE SNAKE

BITES IN 2020 FOR THE NC

WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION

REPORTED THAT 90% OF VENOMOUS

SNAKEBITES ACROSS THE STATE

EACH YEAR.

>> ARE CAUSED BY COPPERHEADS

WHEN IT'S WARM ENOUGH OUTSIDE,

THEY WAKE UP AND THEY BECOME

ACTIVE. BIOLOGIST FOUND OWEN

SAYS DESPITE THE NUMBER OF

SNAKE SPECIES IN NORTH

CAROLINA, NATIVE SNAKES TO NOT

ATTACK UNLESS TO DEFEND

THEMSELVES IN AN AREA LIKE

RALLY. REALLY THE COPPERHEAD IS

THE ONLY VENOMOUS SPECIES THAT

PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO COME

ACROSS.

>> AND REALLY ALL THE OTHER

SNAKE SPECIES THAT PEOPLE ARE

GOING TO FIND ARE GOING TO BE

NON-VENOMOUS A HARMLESS TO

HUMANS STILL IS POSTS OF LOCAL

SNAKE SIGHTINGS, FLOODS, SOCIAL

MEDIA BRONSTEIN SAYS WILL ADD

WATCHING WHERE HE STEPS TO HIS

WALKING ROUTINE. DEFINITELY

TRYING TO ME CAUTIOUS SIDE OF

THAT. IT OR ANYTHING A

PRACTICE. OTHERS SAY THEY WILL

FOLLOW A SNAKE SEASON CONTINUES

FOR INSIDER WRAL NEWS, RALEIGH.

>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PROBLEM.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

WHAT STAGE AND THEN WHAT'S

FRIENDLY AND EVERYTHING OF

PEOPLE DON'T LIKE SNAKES THE

RATE OF ANYTHING THAT LIKE THE

WOMAN SAID, THERE'S ONE DAY

VENOMOUS SNAKE THAT YOU FIND

WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN WHAT IT

LOOKS LIKE IN THE OTHER ONES.

YEAH. SURE. RODENT OR A FROG OR

TOAD ROCK AND ROLL EUROPE.

OK? FROGS, THOUGH, WHITE.

COOL. BUT THEY CAN BE SCARY IF

YOU JUST KIND OF SNEAK UP ON