It's that time of year again

(photography by Miranda Swaim of Blue Heron Nature Preserve)

Last week, I got a call on the early side of the morning. It was Miranda from Blue Heron Nature Preserve (our partner and landlord). She relayed a message from the DaVinci International School (also in the same building with us) that there was a snake just off their back deck and were worried it was a Copperhead!

Through our calls with the Copperhead Rescue & Advocacy Program, we know that only 6% of our calls are actually Copperheads, but seeing as little kids were involved and I was right upstairs, I went down to check it out.

The school took all of the children indoors and as I made my way outside to get a look at the snake, I was amazed. Not only was it indeed a Copperhead, but it was in the most striking (meaning beautiful, not 'striking' at my face or anything) pose I had ever seen!

An adult Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) several feet above the ground in a blooming azalea.

What a sight to behold! I had no idea Copperheads were such skilled climbers.

Well, once the identification was confirmed, even I could agree the snake should be moved as it was currently just a few feet away from where the children were playing. I went to my office to gather snake gear (locking container, hook, and tongs) I don't like to use tongs typically but as the snake was wrapped around the branches of an azalea bush, I thought they might be necessary. I asked Miranda to keep an eye on the snake in case it got a sense of what were were up to and decided to scoot.

When I returned, the snake was still there — and so was an audience! Staff from Davinci, Atlanta Audubon and Blue Heron Nature Preserve gathered to see the venomous snake removal. I had to climb down and get just about under this thing in order to get a good vantage point. I gently grabbed it with the tongs at the first third of its body, and started unwrapping the snake from the branch with the snake hook. This snake was extremely cooperative and let me guide it from the branch into the container.

Gently guiding the Copperhead from the branches.

Carefully unwrapping the serpent from the azalea bush

Once the snake was secured, the instructors at the DaVinci School wanted to show the kids, so we had an impromptu class on Copperheads! The children were fascinated and could get right up on the snake to check it out. We talked a bit about Copperheads and covered how to properly identify them.

It was a lot of fun!