They're Baaack: Copperheads Resume Reign of Terror

Ah, springtime on Reston's lovely network of paths and walkways: if the weirdos don't get you, the venomous snakes will.

A local veterinary clinic sent a message to its customers warning them of an "excessive amount of copperheads" on Reston paths and trails.

It has been brought to our attention that Reston has an excessive amount of copperheads seen on the local paths and trails. In North Reston a resident was on a morning walk with her Golden Retriever and came across the snake as it was sunning itself on the path; the dog was bitten. If your pet is bitten please go straight to an emergency clinic as the anti-venom must be administered as soon as possible and we do not carry this drug.

Not to alarm anyone, but consider this Fun Fact about our beloved scaled neighbors:

The copperhead's initial threat display is to strike. It lashes out at an enemy as a warning. If the enemy is close enough, the fangs may penetrate the skin.

The "good" news is that unlike other snakes, when copperheads bite, it's a "threat display" rather than an attempt to kill, so they inject little venom. But people and pets alike still require immediate medical attention.

All of this, of course, is just an excuse for us to share the best example of edited-for-TV overdubbing in the history of cinema:


You're welcome.

Update: The Reston Association is reporting one copperhead sighting this year, on Lamplighter Way near the Bright Pond natural area. "No one was bitten and the snake did not offer to defend itself," the RA website says.