Posted coordinates are roughly where the blue-blazed trail comes down from above. Parking is shown coming down from my son's Eagle Scout service project kiosk on Observation Road along the Turkey Hill Trail spur. That approach is steep but a blue-blazed trail about 1.5 miles roundtrip from parking. Area above allows hunting. Plan accordingly and wear orange when hunters do. The flat approach is roughly near the 4.5 mile marker on the ELGT.
The Virginia Herpetological Society has a lot of information about copperheads and distinguishing them from look-alikes: http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/venomous-look-a-likes/copperhead-look-a-likes/copperhead.htm
For local snakes and other reptiles, visit PAHERP. Their copperhead page is http://www.paherps.com/herps/snakes/copperhead/.
National Zoo site discusses reproduction and social structure.
I used those and other resources to collect some copperhead facts to consider.
- A copperhead's head is copper colored but also roughly triangular.
- There is usually no pattern or design on the copperhead's head.
- Copperheads do not need to live near water although they may.
- The dark spots on the copperhead tend to be wide along the snake's side and narrow along its back. They are sometimes described as saddles.
- Juvenile Eastern Ratsnakes (non-venomous) have somewhat similar splotches, but those splotches look more black and are wide on top.
- Eastern Milksnakes (non-venomous) have rectangular splotches that usually have a black border around them.
- Pennsylvania has three species of venomous snakes: Northern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, and Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake.
- Adult copperheads range from 24-36 inches in length. (2-3 feet)
- Northern Copperhead's scientific name including its subspecies is Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen.
- In Spanish, copperheads are called cantil cobriz.
- They have several fangs above and behind the current fangs.
- Copperheads are born alive and can inject venom immediately.
- Newborn copperheads are about 9 inches long.
- Young copperheads have tails that end in bright yellow. They wiggle the tail like a worm as caudal luring to attract food such as frogs and lizards.
- They hibernate in dens and sometimes with other kinds of snakes.
- Copperheads are sexually mature at four years old and two feet in length.
- Copperheads live about 18 years.
Copperheads would rather avoid you. Don't try to kill them; that's when you are most likely to be bitten. They won't warn you before biting. Move away from them. Let them continue to be part of their eco-system.
The traditional ammo can is located at N 39 55.ABC W 76 23.DEF where
- A = Number of letters in last word of its scientific name (its subspecies).
- B = Number of sides (roughly) of its head. (...roughly ______ (how many sides is that?))
- C = Number of letters in the name for the substance copperheads inject with their fangs.
- D= Length at birth in inches.
- E = Number of snakes in the image that is the first image in the gallery as well as the background image for the cache page.
- F = Number of letters in the tail color of juveniles.
Congratulations to NoBlueCircles for the FTF. He was one of the people to encounter the young copperhead in the photo used for the clue for E and the cache page background. He notes that the trail down from above is definitely steep.