UNDATED - Summer is supposed to be the season when most snakes in Georgia are lying low, trying to keep cool in the summer heat. But, North Georgia residents report they've been seeing a variety of snakes in their neighborhoods, despite the heat. <br />
<br />
Department of Natural Resources Senior Wildlife Biologist John Jenson said snakes tend to start moving after a rain shower.<br />
<br />
"People encounter them in their yard, around their house, around their office quite frequently this time of year," said Jenson from his Forsyth, Ga. office earlier this week.<br />
<br />
Copperheads are abundant across the northern two-thirds of Georgia, according to Jenson, and because of that, he said he is not surprised that residents in Hall and Forsyth counties have reported seeing the snakes. Still, he said, copperheads typically like to stay away from people.<br />
<br />
"Just look at their color and pattern," he said. "They're totally designed to be camoflauged sitting on a bed of leaves."<br />
<br />
Jenson said copperheads are found most often in hardwood forests, and they have a tendency to inhabit kudzu and ivy beds, as well.<br />
<br />
He also said we shouldn't be fooled by smaller snakes similar in color to copperheads; those aren't "baby" snakes. <br />
<br />
"People see these small snakes and they think that they're babies of something else that they've seen bigger versions of," said Jenson. "They're not...they're a totally different species."<br />
<br />
As for snake bites, Jenson said copperheads aren't known for attacking. They may bite if they're surprised. And, he said, they are the least venomous of Georgia's poisonous snakes.<br />
<br />
"Their bite is not considered life threatening to humans, although it can really make for a bad day or two." <br />
<br />
<br />
