A gorgeous, dangerous snake has been spotted kicking up a fuss in Texas, leading park rangers to nickname them "Red Hot Cheeto."
The venomous eastern copperhead was spotted near a track in Dinosaur Valley State Park, Texas, and wasn't best pleased when rangers attempted to relocate them away from the beaten path.
Dinosaur Valley State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife posted pictures of the rust-red serpent on its Facebook page.
"Our Park Rangers made a new friend today at work!" read the caption of the post.
"This Copperhead was found near the Main Track Site in the park and had quite an attitude with us while we worked to relocate to a safer, more remote area of the park. As a result, Park Rangers determined an appropriate name is Red Hot Cheeto!"
Copperheads are found across the South and along the Appalachians. The snakes usually grow to lengths of between 2 and 3 feet, and are pit vipers, meaning that they have heat-sensing "pits" on their heads allowing them to detect minute differences in temperature to sense out their usually warm-blooded prey.
Copperheads are venomous, injecting hemotoxic venom into their victims via their fangs. While these bites are very rarely fatal to humans, they are still very painful.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, a bitten limb is at risk of disability after envenomation, so administration of antivenom as soon as possible is recommended.
One commenter queried why the rangers did not remove the snake from the park entirely
"Why not get rid of it I mean it's a venomous snake instead of keeping it in the park? I mean I know snakes are everywhere and you can prevent it but why not get rid of it when you find one?" they wrote.
Dinosaur Valley State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife replied: "We do protect all species of wildlife in the park! Snakes are a very important and crucial part of the ecosystems here at Dino Valley. They help maintain lower pest populations, such as rodents, that can cause harm for other species relying on the resources in the park. Snakes are also an important food source for other species such as hawks, owls, and even some larger mammals that may go after a snake for food."
They continued: "They play an important part of the food chains in the park, so removing them can, and will, cause harm to all the other wildlife that call the park home. A break in the food chain causes a domino effect on the rest of the ecosystem, that in a short period of time, will have negative consequences. We do totally understand how snakes are perceived, and our Park Rangers have what we call "a healthy respect" for them, but they are important to everything else in the park and do have a crucial role to play."
In the post, Dinosaur Valley State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife also gave advice to park visitors on how to handle encountering a copperhead or any other snake.
"Turn around and go back the other way if hiking. Do not get close as it could irritate and cause the snake to become frustrated and upset," the post read. "Feel free to call Park Rangers if you need to. We are happy to come check and relocate the snake as needed. Remember, this is their home.
"Leave the snake alone! Follow Leave No Trace by respecting wildlife and their homes."
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