Beware Of Extra Copperheads Out Snacking On Cicadas In West Virginia This Spring
One of the many sounds of spring and early summer in West Virginia is the song of the cicada. And this year, that song will be extra loud, as the annual cicadas that hatch out every spring will be joined in some parts of the state by the prolific, 17-year Brood X cicadas. Together, the two strains will treat the state to some deafening music. But there’s another consequence of these hoards of cicadas: they attract venomous copperhead snakes, who love to make a late night snack of these tasty spring insects.
After a long winter's brumation, cold-blooded West Virginia snakes are starting to venture out to warm up on sunny rock outcroppings around the state. And as their activity level increases, so does their appetite. That's a good thing in many ways - snakes are as good as barn cats when it comes to pest control, with various breeds eating everything from small rodents to garden slugs.
When it comes to the venomous copperhead snake that is found throughout West Virginia, you can even add cicadas to the list of pests it loves to munch on!
And that means you'll want to be extra cautious during cicada season this year, as the combination of the normal amount of annual cicadas plus the extra Brood X periodic cicadas in some counties of West Virginia could mean extra copperheads.
Copperheads are commonly confused with their non-venomous relatives the rat snake and the water snake, but the copperhead has a distinct "Hershey kiss" pattern along its length as well as "hooded" eyelids and no labial lines around the mouth.
Although copperheads do pose a danger to humans, they also are of great benefit to them: in addition to providing excellent pest control, copperheads have proven useful in significant medical advances. Scientist have even been able to use copperhead venom as a potential cancer treatment!
Because copperheads prefer to be active after dark, you may not see as many of them as you might think, given they'll be out in larger-than-usual numbers in areas with an extra abundance of cicadas this spring.
But it might be a good idea to add ear plugs and sturdy, ankle-protecting boots to your hiking accessories this spring just to be safe! To learn more about the Brood X cicadas expected this year (and which West Virginia counties could see an influx of millions of them this year), head over to this article.
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