Thread:Lordofsnakes/@comment-28358106-20170515023301/@comment-28358106-20170527034647

I just had an experience. I was outside, checking my water meter which is in a short vertical pipe in the ground, when a juvenile copperhead slowly poked her head out of the pipe wall next to my hand.

I could tell she couldn't see me because she was tasting the air and moving slowly, probably my flashlight blinded her. But she had fallen in and was coming out of hiding for the night, and I saw why.

I watched her come out slowly, and I saw she went for the edge, looking for a way out. Then, I saw her tail when it emerged. She was missing the last couple of inches of her tail. She had probably had a close call with one of the neighborhood dogs and jumped in to escape.

I didn’t have my gloves to pick her up, so I set a couple of branches in there so she can make her way out.