Can you spot the three copperhead snakes hidden among the leaves in the image below? Don't worry if you find the task difficult, because copperheads are masters of disguise.
The snakes hidden in the image are eastern copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix), a venomous species of pit viper found across eastern parts of North America. Often referred to simply as copperheads, these snakes tend to grow to around 22 to 36 inches as adults, although larger specimens over 50 inches have been recorded, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Eastern copperheads have a distinctive hourglass pattern on their scales, which, combined with their brown coloration, makes for extremely effective camouflage. This camouflage enables them to blend in with their surroundings and means they are very difficult to spot among fallen leaves, for example.
The image above was captured by Bonnie Keller, who is with K2C Wildlife Encounters in Virginia's Fairfax County.
K2C provides relocation services for snakes—and other small animals like lizards—in Virginia, Keller told Newsweek. The company also hosts educational events as well as venomous snake handling courses for companies and agencies whose employees may encounter such reptiles in their line of work.
"Look what happens when you have copperheads in leaves..... magic, they disappear!! Fortunately, copperheads tend to stay in places with more cover, but be vigilant!" K2C said in a Facebook post that included the image of the hidden snakes.
Keller took the image while K2C was relocating copperheads that had been caught in another location.
"I had just released them, so I knew where they were. But it was amazing how easily they blended in, so I took the picture," Keller told Newsweek.
"Evolution has favored this coloration to protect them from predators such as foxes, birds of prey, etcetera," she said.
If you are struggling to spot the snakes in the image, Keller outlined their locations in the edited image below.
One Facebook user said in the comments below the original post that she had "learned the hard way" how effective copperhead camouflage can be when her puppy was bitten by one of the snakes.
"Bonnie helped relocate the copperhead hanging out in the front yard by our bushes where there was mulch and leaves, and since then we have kept our yard a bit more organized and hopefully not as hospitable to snakes," the Facebook user, Nina Mislyan, said.
Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about snakes? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
"spot" - Google News
July 29, 2023 at 12:05AM
https://ift.tt/AzYcMDi
Can You Spot the Three Venomous Copperheads Camouflaged Among the Leaves? - Newsweek
"spot" - Google News
https://ift.tt/OwVTrD5
https://ift.tt/94fwhU5
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Can You Spot the Three Venomous Copperheads Camouflaged Among the Leaves? - Newsweek"
Post a Comment