Shock as Man Finds Two Venomous Snakes Slithering in His Shoes

A man in Cherokee County, Georgia, received a shock after two venomous snakes slithered into his garage last Thursday evening.

When a neighbor, Josh Dameron, arrived at the scene, the snakes were slithering in and out of the man's shoes outside his door.

"I've seen 100-plus snakes in my neighborhood over the last five years. Only one was a copperhead, and it was dead on the road far from homes at the entrance of the neighborhood," Dameron told Newsweek.

Copperheads are a venomous species of snake that can be found throughout the eastern and central U.S., with the exception of Florida and southern Georgia. They are recognizable by their tan-colored bodies, hourglass-shaped dark bands and their copper-red heads, from which their name derives.

Dameron, who had previously offered to help with reptile relocations around the neighborhood, was approached by his neighbor at about 9:15 p.m. "We spoke and he informed me that he moved his trash can to the street and when he did, two snakes moved over to his garage," Dameron said. "He shut his garage and then came over to me."

His neighbor "was not a fan" of snakes, so Dameron volunteered to help get them out. "I walked over, assuming this to be a garter or rat snake," Dameron said. "When he opened the door he saw them both sitting right on the doorsteps."

Dameron was surprised to see two venomous copperheads "chilling out" at the bottom of the stairs. "The snakes were surprisingly nonaggressive but fairly large," he said. "Both over 2 feet."

Copperheads' venom contains a potent toxin that causes the breakdown of red blood cells, which they use to subdue their prey. Although they are venomous snakes, bites from copperheads are extremely rare.

"If they are left alone, they aren't dangerous at all," Jeff Edwards, executive director and CEO of the River Parks Authority in Oklahoma, previously told Newsweek. "They are venomous, but their venom is considered mild, and 99.99 percent of bite victims survive."

The problem with copperheads is that they are often mistaken for other species. "We have a lake, and we have a decent population of midland water snakes," Dameron said. "They are so commonly misidentified as copperheads."

The easiest way to distinguish between a water snake and a copperhead is to look at the shape of the pattern on its scales. If observed from above, water snakes appear to have saddle-shaped dark bands along their back. The saddle shape is wide in the middle and narrow along the edges. By contrast, the copperhead's markings resemble an hourglass, with the narrowest section in the center.

If in doubt, it is always best to call in a professional if you find a snake on your property.