Herping with Dylan: Copperhead

[SteLeeG]

you need to invest in a snake hook that way you can have more control and safer i cringe when i see you using a stick playing with fire could snap and tag you on the leg or catch a vein plus more comfortable for the snake than which makes them more relaxed ,maybe a collapsable one but good work

[mrdylanmagic]

@SteLeeG no sticks are more comfortable for the snakes and sticks work better than hooks hooks are safer but sticks are free and there are more of them

[bullcurr]

cottonmouth water moccasins are very aggressive & even if you are not "bothering" them , they will still come up & try to bite you out of territorialism, or whatever else motivates a snake.

[herpindude2010]

is there a train in all your videos

[96phillies1]

@bullcurr

why the hell would you shoot it? i mean i no it has venom but its a snake? and are you gonna eat it? thats what i thought no your not gonna eat a snake so obviosly their is no reason to shoot it right?

[bullcurr]

personal choice , personal freedom.

[Salamander521]

yo rebbo

[bullcurr]

I have shot many of these with my .410 shotgun.

[moparman93]

Why the hell would you shoot them?

[bullcurr]

why not???

[steveMCHS]

@bullcurr y the hell would u shoot at a snake whats the point there not bothering u so theres no point in harming it u asshole

[dlmsuperdave]

@bullcurr keep up the good work. the only good snake is a dead snake! they are satan's children

[bullcurr]

@dlmsuperdave

Actually satan's children would probably be many of the ones who voted the Non US "president" into office! LOL*

[dlmsuperdave]

@bullcurr There are all kinds of "snakes" in the world, I don't like any of them

[StubberRubber]

@dlmsuperdave just because you dont like them doesn't mean they deserve to die. Does it?

[MultiIverson3]

man you took a risk. I love copperheads. COOL!

[shifta65]

How long was this snake? I thought copperheads usually are smaller than the one in the video.

[AGomez1821]

I will turn the other way, if I see any type of snake. You are brave.

[jayder1985]

Copperheads may seem docile but should never be treated as such.They are venomous with very tissue damaging venom.I have worked with them so many times and both wild and captive have tempers.Dont go near one unless experienced and WITH PROPER EQUIPMENT.A stick in the woods is not good enough.This comes from 1 year experience at a venom lab and 5 years experience as a biologist for the State Government.I do neither now for a living but am as experienced with snakes as most zoo keepers.

[xsnakemandougx]

with all due respect he has been doing this his whole life... its up to him to take the risk of handiling this snake in hopes of educating people... and from my 13years of expeirence a sturdy stick will do fine...( i prefer a snake hook/tong more though lol)

[h2o4uandme2]

DUDE ur cool i did not know that copperheads,rattlesnakes,and water mossicans give live birthby the way is it true that they r more agressive when they r shedding there skin by the way love ur voice u sound like ashton kutcher keep up the good work

[xsnakemandougx]

they are more defensive while sheding due to the damaged vision caused by the clouding of the eyes... any other ?s just tell me them ill try to answer at my best ability(:

[thespanishpeanut]

they have venom

[h2o4uandme2]

YES THEY ARE POISONIS

[xsnakemandougx]

venomous my freind(:

[ashlan03]

Their venom is not much more than the bacteria in the mouth of a non venemous snake

[bmanfriend]

not really they have as much venom as a cotton mouth but they don't use as much when they do bite

[xsnakemandougx]

sir now there venom is not as toxic as the rattler or cottonmouth.. it is way more damaging then the damage done by a coloubrid... and youshould be attended to by a local hospital if you are bitten

[MatthewPhelpsHERP]

The copperheads I find in my yard are usually quite docile. I can usually just pick them up with out even a stick because of this.

[benguapo]

Its funny how when he's saying they almost never strike that the snake is trying to go twords him

[TeenEarthNetwork]

She did try to go towards him, but there was no sign of aggression, pretty much just passing curiosity at worst. :)

[Catcarp8]

I'm glad your out there to teach people about snakes. Most people scared of them don't bother to do a little research of what's in there area.

Keep up you videos:)

[snakemasterjr]

Your a big inspiration Dylan everything i know about snakes is from watching you and i have a notebook filled with notes that i have been takin from watching the croc. hunter since i was 2 and im 13 now so your good guy. I finally get to go to australia this year and find Taipans, Tigersnakes, Death Adders, all those im pumped.

[JesusIsReality]

A word of advice for you, dylan. With the rattlesnakes and larger snakes, get a bigger stick. My dad tried to handle a timber rattler with a stick that size, and it reached and bit his hand. He was in the hospital for 2 days. I dont want that to happen to you.

[wfpsnakes]

beauitful snake, the copperhead is my snake of the month this august on my webpage

[XxXsLuShXxX]

u ever been bit

[bradspartan]

you are truly an asset to all herpetology usually newer generations avoid herpetology because they cannot relate to it but you really fill the gap and educate younger people. hopefully your work will help people understand the importance and beauty of reptiles and amphibians.

[jakebagel1]

do you know if any of these live up near the chicago area?

[Reebbo]

nah, they are in the Southern/Western parts of the state only

[xibowhunter]

I'm glad to see someone who understands snakes post a video on Youtube. It's is a lot better than most of the snake videos on Youtube where people have no idea what they are talking about. Good job.

[avarosew]

i got bit by one! u stupid guy!

[HerpKeeper]

Sucks to be you bitch.

[snakeman1337]

good work..=)

[piperboy350]

this guy thinks he can convince people to taouch them or something?..white people are crazy!!!... leave the fucking snake alone.and stop making them seem like friends..ur wierd

[Reebbo]

no no no, the exact opposite really. NEVER touch them, but do not be so scared of them that you think it is okay to indiscriminately kill them.

Just because I touch them doesn't make it a good idea.

[herpboy99]

that is true.

[andrewtheguitarist]

rite =-) see dylan is intelegent

[xdragon573]

dont listen to all these people they dont no what there saying

[bigwoolycritter]

noob. hopefully you won't learn the hard way why i said that...

[jeffmitchell12345]

You should see what #9 shot out of a .410 does to those things!

[TristanCrider]

Your a complete douche bag... Humans will destroy everthing and not care one bit... Most of us live in the moment and could care less about the future.

[andrewtheguitarist]

care about something like global warming not picking up animals.... lol i bet he just puts it down when hes done with it.

[XxXsLuShXxX]

it not really happining it the a lie

[fdhutr]

yo nice snake

[BADTimmyD]

i like the make shift snake hook

[nevison007]

EDIT BELOW SORRY

Family viperidae

Genus Agkistrotrix

species contortrix

subspecies contrortrix

common name COPPERHEAD (what was i thinking)

can it kill slim chance

[nevison007]

Family viperidae

Genus Agkistrotrix

species contortrix

subspecies contrortrix

common name cottonmouth

can it kill slim chance

[RXBLOODWOLF]

woww this sucks dude awser me back when u get a real snake ok? ben 9=

[kwbeck25]

nice copperhead, man. it takes a lot of skill and understanding to handle a snake like that and educate people about it's importance and beauty. keep up the good work, man.

[drugaria]

I wouldn't call it docile snake just because it didn't bite that guy !

[VisualCircle]

What I don't understand is how people like this guy will stress the importance of not handling poisonous snakes and then they feel as if they are immune to getting bit. There is NO safe way to handle a snake. In less than a split second, that snake could strike and bite that guy on the hand. I bet he wouldn't be talking about how "beautiful" it was then!

[mxmike458]

There is a safe way to handle snakes bitch!

[BADTimmyD]

nah your just a pussy

[herper123]

my dads freind was chased by a black mamba, those snakes will actively pursue you. its a funny story actually. That snake will attack you.

[malmsteenzz]

copperhead will attack if someone disturb it..hmm

[Reebbo]

a snake will never "attack". ever.

They may get defensive if they feel threatened, but they will never pursue you are go looking for someone to bite.

[topher10491]

lol u think its not a copperhead?? go get ur facts right before you start telling experts that they are wrong

[usrowing08]

that isnt a copperhead.....

[Reebbo]

hahaha

oh really?

[LnJReptiles97]

What an Idiot...

[holocastanderson]

i do its easy this kid is a idiot

[Reebbo]

huh?

[norte4life]

so what is the point of this did you capture it or what?

[Reebbo]

no I let it go. I wouldn't want to take it from it's natural environment.

I just wanted to show people a more gentle side of this snake. Most of the time venomous snake are portrayed as being very aggressive, which is not the case in most situations.

[dittolavegan]

If she is a sweetheart why do you keep pushing your "sweetheart" away with the stick? Me thinks he is playing the "Irwin"!

[Reebbo]

Im not sure how to respond to this...

what is "playing the Irwin"?

[flourishman]

a couple of days ago i found a good sized garter

[Sloopies]

ur like frickin steve irwin

[augustus7691]

I Love Copperheads, I've had several Southern Copperheads throughout my life. Been nipped twice buy Copperheads... They can be handled, but then it depends on the snake and the handler... and sometimes the weather and when the snake had eaten last... Excellent Video! Cheers, -BA

[steelftball1]

I got bit by a copper head on my thumb. so i had to go to the hospital but they only have the right anti-venom they only had it for rattle snakes. so i had to fly in a helicopter and go to another hospital. but they still didn't have the right anti-venom so i had to get surgery and stay in the hospital for a week and a half.

[docaton1]

I love these snakes. I've had a southern for a few years now and it's certainly my fav. It's much darker than this northern though.

[AngusMcTillings]

Are you on public land? If so, can you please give the exact location?  Thanks, my son!

[kurt942003]

A guy commented and said this snake was Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix...however it is A. c. mokeson...the northern copperhead.

[06wheels]

lmao. i'm sorry man, hope you recovered

[rbkersey]

Good video. I live in Eastern KY, and I have seen my share of Copperheads. I think they are more aggressive than the Timber Rattlesnake which is also native to this area.

[DipDiveDuckDodge]

Hey Dylan....I love your videos. I try not to handle Copperheads or Rattlers. But just yesterday we were having a BBQ at my house and what sshould come crawling across the lawn but a Copperhead. They are truly remarkable snakes. Your videos are the bomb diggidy. Im in NE Kansas. We could get together and herp sometime.

[conleykills23]

Akistridon contortrix contortrix. Cool snake

[magictutorial101]

hey dylan do you own any snakes? if so what kind? i luv herps to i own a baby aztec corn snake and a crested gecko.. please get back to me :) luv ur vids to 5/5

[Reebbo]

nah, I dont keep any snakes. I like finding them in the wild and sometimes bring one back for photos, but I never keep them more than a week.

[frontlobo]

Dylan, caught a 47" northern copperhead in Indiana about 4 years ago. My Internet research said it was 6" short of the record. Do you have any comments about the length as most live only to be 3 feet long. Thanks

[Reebbo]

the one in this video was HUGE. I didn't have any way to measure it, but it was no doubt the largest I have ever see.

[narinkil]

wow, i've been around Copperheads before and i couldnt get that close to one. good job man.

[ihatepanda]

careful its poinsonous

[AOButtish]

Heh, your master surely won't be forgiving you now.

[Reebbo]

???

[Jason89b16]

cool. I just found a nice Osage tonight. Its nice size. Its missing its left eye. It looks like it never had one. Its a healthy animal though. No vids though. Just some pics. Ill look at your profile.

[Jason89b16]

No new vids this year yet? We found a nice osage in the the mark twain forest a couple weeks ago. It was patterned almost like a northern, but was very light in color, almost pale. Very cool. Also have found 2 red milk snakes this year already. Not sure about in Illinois, but around here they are becoming not so common..

[Reebbo]

there are lots of new videos this year.

try going to my youtube profile.

[Tystai]

i want to go there sometime i love snakes and i love catching them to=]i seen alot of cottonmouths where i live

[todprce]

As for the kids, I will say they should have been supervised better, but it's still not good for them to be around areas where people live, and most people don't know how to properly dispose of them without getting hurt.

[Defiant14]

todprce: Part 2: Educate kids on how to recognize venomous creatures and how to walk away from them. Educate ignorant adults (cough) who think we should kill snakes about the snakes important role in the enviroment, and also how to walk away from venomous snakes.

[Defiant14]

todprce: Part 3: People like you who try to kill venomous snakes deserve their bites. The only sad thing is that you will probally kill a bunch non-venomous snakes first because you don't know the diffrence. Even worse yet, you'll probally succed at killing a couple venomous ones before one gets you. I just hope that when you do get bit, it is something with neuro and not hemo.

[Reebbo]

Defiant14 makes a good point. People's pet dogs send people to the hospital all the time. But no one is killing dogs when they see one. Killing an animal because it has the capacity to injure you in ignorant.

I don't want to be mean about this because I would like to think that there is hope, even in the people who hate snakes the most, to be able to understand and coexist with venomous animals.

[todprce]

I have known a couple young kids here to be killed by snakes so yeah I say if they come to your territory kill them if a kid steps on 1 by accident the snakes don't sympathize.

[Reebbo]

Instead of blaming a snake that was just defending itself, you should take responsibility and make an effort to teach kinds about what snakes are venomous and how to avoid them.

I actively search out venomous snakes, and I dont get bitten ... cant be that hard.

[todprce]

While I don't think people should go out looking to slaughter them, there is a big difference in looking for one prepared or working lifting a log in tall grass and having one in strike position in your face. If you are not trained and don't care to be bitten there are not many options there, plus it's hard to stay calm when it is by surprise and you are not looking for the snake.

[Defiant14]

todprce: I have known people to get killed by other people driving cars! So if a person driving a car comes through your territory, you better kill them right away. Many snake bites come from people trying to kill innocent snakes, instead of just leaving them be so they can move on with their lives. Snakes don't want to bite people. It is a last resort. They need their venom to eat.

[realizedx]

Beautiful Copperhead. Cool.

[snake96]

that is a big copperhead

[ReneeBo]

How does that copperhead survive? She's so gentle.

[Reebbo]

haha no kidding ...

its amazing she made it to that size being so friendly.

[Believer1229]

Nice big copper head!

I'm in Quincy and have herped around Fults before.

[enemyracing]

i dont hate snakes but every time we see one whene fishing we shoot it to help are kids to be safe

[Reebbo]

wow ... thats smart.

Indiscriminate killing at its best folks...

*sigh*

[snake96]

it is illegal to kill or harm snakes in a lot of states they wont hurt the kids shooting them is not the answer edicate your kids and your self and treat snake with respecked I would rather have snakes than mice and rats that spread disease

[AaronCraze]

Great vids man. Good to see some placid Copperheads. I surely wouldn't be doing that with my Australian Copperhead tho..lol

[nigel4less]

Awesome copperhead so did she ever try to strike after shooting?

[Reebbo]

never once ... she was a real sweetheart

[snake96]

thats one big copperhead there pretty thought

[BigSapelo]

I encounter Copperheads quite frequently while trout fishing and have always found them to be very docile and calm, at most just trying to ease off undetected or just slithering into the water (with me, ulp!). I find that the "watersnakes" are much more aggressive and confrontational. I must ask you though: What will you do when one of these pit vipers gets a bit agitated with you and gets a bite on you? It's more than possible. Just curious!

[Reebbo]

yea, I would rather handle a copperhead than a watersnake haha. been bitten by so many watersnakes its not even funny. but as for the pit vipers.... I have never been bitten... it is always a possibility you are right... I just try to avoid handling the aggressive ones... and if I do I keep their head as far away from my hands as possible ha.

[BigSapelo]

Very insightful, thanks for sharing

[Reebbo]

thanks =D