Ep 221. Curious Copperhead Encounters

Mary Stone discusses her experiences with snakes, particularly Copperheads, in her garden and how their hourglass-shaped markings blend into the environment. While venomous, they aren't as dangerous as rumored,  and while they benefit us by controlling pests, she shares ways to discourage them from hunkering down in your garden. 

The episode concludes with other wildlife encounters that instill fear, followed by excitement and wonder, and invites listeners to share their own wildlife experiences. 

Thanks for Tuning in! 

Related Posts and Podcasts 

Curious Copperhead Encounters – Blog Post

Ep 211. Truth and Tale of Two Country Gardens

Japanese Stilt Grass & Thistle Remedies - Blog Post

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I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com. 

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.

Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page

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Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer

More about the Podcast and Column:

Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.

It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from mother nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about.

Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com
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Transcript

Ep 221. Curious Copperhead Encounters

Sun, Sep 14, 2025 9:39 AM • 11:38

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Copperhead encounters, garden dilemmas, snake story, Virgin's Bauer, pollinators, stilt grass, wooded hillsides, Rutgers University, Copperhead identification, snake behavior, wildlife encounters, bear chasing, deer stampede, garden benefits, venomous snakes.

SPEAKERS

Mary Stone

Mary Stone  00:00

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I'm Mary Stone, and welcome to garden dilemmas, delights, and discoveries. It's not only about gardens. It's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learn from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So let's jump in, in the spirit of learning from each other, we have lots to talk about. 

Mary Stone  00:26

Hello there. It's Mary Stone on the screen porch. Welcome. Welcome. It feels like an early fall day, although it's not very chilly. It is at nighttime, though I've been enjoying porch camps and it has been dropping into the low 50s. One night, just below 50. Actually, you may hear a chainsaw in the background. I hope it's not going to be too irritating. It's the time of year. Folks are tending to such things. I want to thank those that reach back after our last episode about Sweet Autumn Clematis and a Native Alternative, I'm glad you also adore the scent of Sweet Autumn Clematis, but still, I would opt for the native look alike Virgin's Bower now that I have found her. Pollinators love her despite the fact that she doesn't have that sweet smell, and clematis virginiana is generally not considered invasive, so that's a good thing. 

Mary Stone  01:18

So this week, I have a snake story to share. I know many of you may not be fond of snakes, but they are fascinating. True, there can be the element of surprise when you come upon them. I look forward to telling you about one of mine that starts like this.

Mary Stone  01:34

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. About a month ago, at late dusk, I took Jolee over the footbridge, across the pond to her potty spot. On the way back, I noticed an oddly flattened snake, but there was no blood, and the head was intact. How strange, given there's no vehicular traffic other than the mower from time to time to cut down the stilt grass to keep it from going to seed. The seeds of that many bamboo-looking trespassers stay viable for five or more years. So it's best to cut to the chase where you can. We spoke about Stilt Grass in Episode 211, The Truth and Tale of Two Country Estates. I'll put a link in the show notes. It's a good story. 

Mary Stone  02:17

The snake was about two feet long, and it was in an S shape as they reached for my phone for a photo, it puffed up and slithered off into the ferns. So mystified and intrigued by the oddity, I didn't make the connection that it was a Copperhead, having come across several of them while hiking. They prefer rocky, wooded hillsides with wetlands and ponds, especially during the heat of the summer. One time, at Blue Mountain Lakes Hemlock Pond, there were babies sunbathing on a branch above the water line, all slithering around the sticks. We had Ellie at the time, and she was not a swimmer. Another time, a baby Copperhead lunged to attack Miss Ellie while walking down Camp Road at Camp Mohican. Years before that, one swam ashore alongside Saraa, my golden before Ellie. I waved her over to swim further to the right of the fishing spot, not knowing what kind of snake it was, canine and snake landed about eight feet apart. Sara was oblivious. She ran back to the water, waiting for another round of stick toss. 

Mary Stone  03:21

Eastern copperheads are sometimes confused with the more common and non-venomous Northern Water Snake and Eastern Milk Snake, but there's no mistaking the coppery, brownish body with hourglass-shaped bands on the copperheads. Baby copperheads typically are tan or gray rather than coppery. It was so interesting because it happened that there was a scientist from Rutgers University the day that Sara swam ashore, and she confirmed it was indeed a Copperhead. They are good swimmers and can open their mouths without getting water in their lungs, allowing them to feed on reptiles, mammals, and amphibians that live in and near water. 

Mary Stone  04:00

A few years ago, the large sticky traps poised in the basement to capture cave crickets trapped a baby Copperhead. Talk about being close to home! To discourage snakes from hunkering down, they suggest filling in gaps in the foundation. But how can you fill in gaps when you have boulder retaining walls and a pond surrounded by rocky terrain, you can't and it's a perfect habitat for snakes. 

Mary Stone  04:24

Jolee intent on returning inside for her post supper, Greenie didn't notice the snake, but the copperhead noticed her. When a Copperhead senses a predator such as a coyote or a possum, their first line of defense is to remain still. Their colors help them blend into the natural elements, especially leaf litter. If further triggered, they flatten their bodies by expanding their ribs to appear larger and more threatening to a predator. Sometimes, they hiss and vibrate their tail as a warning to mimic a rattlesnake. I read that they also have a potent musk smell they can release from their tails, which can deter some predators. American crows, great horned owls, and hawks also feed on copperheads, along with the coyote and opossums, and bullfrogs feed on the babies. 

Mary Stone  05:14

Speaking of rattlesnakes, one time, I suddenly came upon a coiled rattlesnake in the woods while I was walking Miss Ellie on a retractable lead. She had passed the snake, and I was about six feet behind her, and I almost stepped on it. No kidding, it was hidden in the thick shadows of the forest floor. Like a hurdle jumper, I launched over the snake. Note to self, don't wear sunglasses in heavy shade in the woods. No kidding.

Mary Stone  05:40

 There are benefits of snakes in the garden, but agree, the benefits may not outweigh the risks of copperheads or rattlesnakes. Thank you very much. Nothing against you, lovely snakes. Baby copperheads feed on insects, including garden pests, whereas adults feed on mice and rats, carriers of ticks, which is a good thing, but also on birds, frogs, and such. They say they aren't fond of strong smells, and so planting herbs, onions, garlic, lemon, grass, and marigolds may help keep them out of the garden. I am relieved to know that while they are venomous, they are not as deadly as rumor has it, although to small animals, they can be. Nobody ever endured a snake bite while they were leaving it alone. But of course, there is the element of surprise. If bitten, you definitely should seek medical treatment as soon as you can. 

Mary Stone  06:32

There's a poem titled May by Mary Oliver, in which she comes upon a Copperhead. Curious she knelt to gaze, noticing he wasn't shy, unlike other snakes, she moved a bit, and it clamped its eyes on mine, then it jerked towards me. She jumped back and watched the snake slither away. Her heart pounding. I adore how the poem ends when she lingers listening to the woodland sounds while staring at the stars. After excitement, we are so restful. When the thumb of fear lifts, we are so alive. Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com.

Mary Stone  07:13

 The morning after coming upon the flattened Copperhead, Jolee snooped around the forest floor, tracking the route from the night before. Life is different since I saw that snake. When Jolee heads out towards a thicket of ferns or stilt grass, especially at dusk or nighttime, I spot her with a flashlight looking for snakes. 

Mary Stone  07:34

Mary Oliver's poem reminds me of other encounters with wildlife when fear gave way to excitement or marvel. Like the time I saw a fuzzy butt entering the woods while jogging home. I was living in Boonton Township, married to my now ex-husband, I stopped at the entry point and looked into the woods, and literally was face to face with a bear, maybe six feet from me. I shouldn't stare at a bear, I thought to myself, and I ran like the wind home with excitement, having seen a bear for the first time so close and personal. 

Mary Stone  08:06

Recently, Jolee chased a bear twice in one day. The first was the juvenile that I didn't see when I scoped the woods at first call. I think he came when we were meandering around the stream in the back. Upon our return, he was digging up a stump, searching for grubs and ground bees, minding his own business, really. Then Jolee took off after him. I yelled the wrong command out of fear, stop. Instead of leave it. She took off after that bear, barking, but thankfully, she chased it only to the edge of the property, like she does the deer. I didn't scold her that badly, but I wasn't happy, believe me.

Mary Stone  08:45

 That same evening, I opted to put on her training collar, thinking that perhaps the bear was still around, and we did our normal evening routine, and then Jolee took off after the mother with two cubs feeding on the skunk cabbage beyond the bridge that crosses Johnsonburg Creek. My heart was racing. We walked that way for our road walks, but she never ran off the property on her own. I hit the buzzer of the tone collar incessantly yelling, Leave it, leave it, leave it, leave it, and she came back unscathed. I didn't yell at her, because she came back. And I hugged her. I know she felt my fear, and hopefully, she will not chase a bear again. 

Mary Stone  09:25

There was this one time I have to tell you this story. There was a stampede of deer just as dawn was breaking, waking me abruptly from the porch campout. The screams of the deer and the sounds of their thunderous stamping hooves circling the front yard defending a fawn were alarming. My heart was literally beating out of my chest. Woken from a deep sleep,

Mary Stone  09:48

I saw the coyote dodging the legs of the deer with the finesse of an agility dog. Then it raced in front of the screen porch and retreated into a divot of a fallen Hemlock in the woods. It was a remarkable team effort, all the doe stampeding around to save the fawn. What about you? Have you ever witnessed a scene in the wild that instilled fear, followed by excitement and wonder? I'd love to hear your stories. If you'd like to email me at Ask MaryStone@gmail.com, I do enjoy hearing stories, and I wonder how many snake encounters you have had. I have many others I could share with you, not poisonous ones. The rattlesnakes and the copperheads are the only poisonous snakes here in New Jersey, and they are beautiful to look at, although I don't really want them in the garden. I'm just saying. Anyway, thank you for joining me on the screen porch. I always look forward to our time together, and I hope you do as well, and I would so appreciate if you could share the podcast with a friend or two so more can find us and learn and grow in this garden of life. Our community is growing. Thanks to you. It warms my heart, as does our visit each week. I look forward to the next time on the screen porch. Have a great day. 

Mary Stone  11:07

You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook or online at GardenDilemmas.com and on Instagram at the hashtag MaryElaineStone Stone. Garden Dilemmas Delights, and Discoveriess is produced by Alex Bartling. Thanks for coming by. I look forward to chatting again from my screen porch and always remember to embrace the unexpected in this garden of life. Have a great day.