Gardening can be relaxing, but one Montgomery County resident got a shocking surprise after a venomous snake slithered into the yard.
Montgomery County fire officials say the Rockville resident was busy gardening in the area of Bouldercrest Court and Hurley Avenue when a copperhead snake delivered its potentially dangerous bite Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, the bite was dry, which means no venom was released, officials say.
The resident was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Animal Control caught the snake, and a picture of it in an orange bag was posted on the fire department's Twitter page.
The copperhead is one of only two venomous snakes that are indigenous to Maryland; the other is the timber rattlesnake.
According to zoology experts from the Cooperative Extension at North Carolina State University, although copperhead venom is milder than many other poisonous snakes, a copperhead bite “needs medical attention, is extremely painful, and may cause extensive scarring and loss of use. Many people are bitten while trying to kill or handle the snake."
Copperheads are most active in the warmer summer months at dusk and evening hours.
During the day, the snakes are most likely to lie underneath objects to take cover from the hot summer sun. Their natural camouflage can make them difficult to detect if they are lying in leaves or brush.
