8/10/23

 In my area of Kansas there are only a couple of venomous snakes that people need to watch out for, and this is one of them, an Eastern Copperhead.  I was very surprised to see this one as in summer they are mostly nocturnal and it was quite a hot day.  That's probably why I saw it in a stream.  They primarily eat small rodents, frogs, birds and large insects like Cicadas.  Their bite is rarely fatal and will often dry bite first, meaning they will not release venom.  A bite can make you feel fairly ill though.  When threatened, they will usually just freeze first as their coloration allows them to blend in well.  Just FYI, the other venomous snake in my area is the Timber Rattlesnake.  I have never seen one of these though.