‘Horror movie’: Dog alerts homeowner to 3 copperheads in yard

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — A Union County man said he had his biggest scare of the summer when he found three copperhead snakes in his backyard.

He said his dog was inches away from the venomous reptiles.

Mike Cawthon said his pup Riley is protective of their property in Stallings.

ALSO READ: Child bitten by copperhead snake at North Carolina Zoo

The Pitbull mix spotted a slithery, scaly intruder in their backyard Monday night.

“The first one was right here,” Cawthorn showed Channel 9′s Erika Jackson. “Second one was here. Third was right over there.”

They were camouflaged in the brush.

“It’s like a horror movie,” he said. “Look here, there’s a snake. You look over that way and there’s another one and then that way, there’s another one. It was pretty intense.”

Experts said the first thing you should do if you see a snake is take a picture of it from a safe distance. That way it can be easily identified by a snake trapper or a doctor in the event you get bitten.

Copperhead snake. Joseph T Collins/Getty Images/Science Source

Wildlife expert Chris Shomo told Jackson people could see copperheads during the daytime soaking up the sun’s rays on sidewalks and back patios.

However, Schomo said you will most likely see copperheads on the edge of yards blending in with leaves and pine needles.

“The number one way that people get bit by copperheads is by approaching them, trying to capture them, and trying to corner them,” said Shomo, the lead inspector with A1 Wildlife Control.

Shomo said he gets at least one call per day to trap a copperhead.

He said the snakes like to hang out away from the city, near other wildlife.

“If you have mice or rats, or baby chipmunks in your yard, things like that they want to feed on, then they’ll want to be in the area where there’s a good food source,” Shomo said.

He recommends calling a wildlife specialist to capture a snake and don’t try to trap it yourself.

Cawthon didn’t take that advice.

He said he doesn’t regret taking matters into his own hands.