What to do if you find a snake on the James
Have you ever encountered a snake at the James? Did you know that there are only three snakes native to Virginia that are poisonous? Those three are: the northern copperhead, eastern cottonmouth and the timber rattlesnake, according to information from the Virginia Herpetological Society. Copperheads are the only one that one would be likely find in the Richmond […]
Have you ever encountered a snake at the James? Did you know that there are only three snakes native to Virginia that are poisonous?
Those three are: the northern copperhead, eastern cottonmouth and the timber rattlesnake, according to information from the Virginia Herpetological Society. Copperheads are the only one that one would be likely find in the Richmond area. Even so, most snakes are harmless and even dangerous ones would rather flee than fight.
Mostly what you’d see in the James River park are non-poisonous snakes, like watersnakes and ratsnakes (pictured, credit Rich Young),.
From the book The James River in Richmond: Your Guide to Enjoying America’s Best Urban Waterway (1997) by John Bryan:
What about snakes? There are no poisonous water moccasins on the urban James. None. You can count the people who have been injured by snakes on your little finger and still have on finger left over. Nobody is ever harmed by any snake on the urban James.
What do I do if I see a snake? Nothing. Just leave it alone. The snakes along the urban James have never hurt anyone, and they are quite beneficial.
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