Copperheads dangerous?

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extremely dangerous! very poisonous! dont try to do it by yourself! call in professionals! you dont want to die do you?...Show more

Let's clear up a few things.

Snake venom is measured in what is called the LD50- 'lethal dose that kills 50% of the same-size test subjects'. The LOWER the LD50, the MORE dangerous the toxin is.

The next question is venom yield- how much toxin does the animal carry with it.

Some snakes do not have very toxic venom, but carry a TON of it, so are incredibly dangerous. Some, like most cobras, don't carry much, but the venom is very toxic. A Timber Rattler has a large yield, and a LD50 of 3.1- not very toxic since the average cobra is 0.5mg/kg. Eastern Diamondback is 14.6mg/kg- even less toxic than the Timber- but they carry a lot of the stuff.

The Copperhead's venom LD50 is 25.6mg/kg- a very low toxicity! About 1/2 as toxic as a Diamondback, or about 1/10th as dangerous as a Timber Rattler!

The average adult Copperhead does not even carry enough venom in its head to kill a small adult if it injected every last drop.

A baby snake's venom is not significantly more concentrated, and they carry less- this whole 'more dangerous than an adult' bit is an urban legend.

Copperheads are considered non-venomous by many people in its range because it is such a calm-tempered animal that it rarely bites, and when it does, the victim rarely feels much beyond a bad wasp sting.

The mom won't be nearby. Small snakes often enter houses by accident looking for shelter, and getting trapped there. They WANT to be out where they can find their food, water, etc. Once the eggs are laid in most species, the mom provides absolutely no care, and does not stay near them....Show more

Copperheads(Agkistrodon contortrix)ARE venomous, and bites are not pleasant, but they are not usually fatal. Recently, an elderly man in TX died after being bitten by a Copperhead, but an investigation is still on-going to determine if another factor, such as a heart condition, might have been involved. Copperhead bites typically produce severe pain and swelling, as well as discoloration of skin and tissue, and if left untreated, can result in infection and even gangrene, since this snake's venom is designed to break down tissue and blood vessels. It's not unusual, though, for a Copperhead to inflict a "dry" bite, in which it injects little or no venom, so symptoms are not always severe.

Are you sure that the snake you found in your basement was a baby Copperhead? It's rather unsual for venomous snakes to enter human dwellings in North America, and almost always, snakes found indoors are members of the Ratsnake(Elaphe)family. Every snake I've ever been called out to remove from a house, and every dead snake I've ever been shown that was killed in a house, has been either a Cornsnake or a Black Ratsnake, both harmless. Cornsnakes are often mistaken for Copperheads due to their bright orange coloration, and baby Ratsnakes don't look anything like adults. Copperhead snakes do not display maternal care instincts; once the babies are born, they are on their own and are able to live independently from the mother, so finding a baby snake does not necessarily mean that the mother is nearby. Prior to hibernation, snakes can travel for many miles in search of food and shelter, so the snake you found could have been born or hatched(in the case of a Ratsnake)many miles from your home....Show more

Yes, copperheads are venomous and dangerous. A baby copperhead has a full load of venom. Copperheads, like most snakes leave their offspring to fend for themselves at birth, so there may or may not be others in your basement. Be careful especially around any piles of lumber or other materials that may be a place for them to hide. If you have rats or mice, it would be a good idea to put out some poison and get rid of them since snakes tend to hang out where food is plentiful and rats and mice are their natural prey....Show more

ok your getting all these answers saying that they can kill you which they will not copperhead venom will cause massive tissue damage and nerve damage i mean dont get me wrong they can kill a small child but your best bet is to call your local exterminater and have him or her check the house for more snakes and most of them will remove them for you DO NOT try to do it your self unless your are trained on handling snakes dont just go pulling furniture out and flipping things over because a snake could be there and you will get bit...Show more