'Watch Every Step'—Can You Spot the Venomous Snake Lurking in This Photo?

While hiking with her kids through the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Valerie Fischer stumbled upon an unnerving sight.

The group had moved to the side of the trail to make way for a passing mountain biker and were leaning against a pile of rocks when something unusual caught her eye.

"I was about to lean in against the rocks to say something to one of my kids when for the briefest second my eyes caught a pattern that registered as 'NOT leaves,'" Fischer told Newsweek.

"It was perfectly camouflaged in the dead leaves and dappled sunlight, but sure enough, there was an adult copperhead curled up...It made absolutely no noise and was perfectly still."

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The snake was at waist height and less than a foot away.

"In that moment of realization, I was more concerned about the safety of the kids and I think I simply took a step back and calmly told them to climb down the other side and stand back on the trail," Fischer said.

Copperheads are a venomous species of snake that can be found throughout the eastern and central U.S., with the exception of Florida and southern Georgia. They can be recognized by their tan-colored bodies, hourglass-shaped dark bands and their copper-red heads, from which their name derives.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and Conservation, the state is home to 46 different snake species, only seven of which are venomous.

"Thankfully, this is the only time I've personally seen a copperhead besides safely behind the glass in a zoo. Although living in Oklahoma, we usually see a couple of snakes every year, mostly of the non-venomous variety," Fischer said.

"We've seen other wildlife at Turkey Mountain before—lots of hawks, turtles, interesting bugs, and the occasional armadillos scurrying through the brush—but this definitely was our most exciting sighting to date."

Although they are venomous, bites from copperheads are extremely rare. "If they are left alone, they aren't dangerous at all," Jeff Edwards, executive director and CEO of the River Parks Authority which oversees the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area, told Newsweek. "They are venomous, but their venom is considered mild and 99.99 percent of bite victims survive. We have no record of anyone ever being bitten in our park."

However, Edwards still emphasized the importance of safety in these wild areas.

"Keeping to trails is the best way to stay safe when exploring our wooded areas," he said. "By staying on the trails, you can easily spot snakes and avoid them. Walking off trail, you're far more likely to accidentally step on a snake and get bit.

"Keep your eyes peeled and watch every step if you happen to step off trail to let others pass."

If you do see a snake, it is important to keep your distance. "Snakes typically only attack if they feel threatened," Edwards said. "If you give snakes plenty of space, you shouldn't have any issues. A good rule of thumb when encountering wildlife is to hold your thumb up at arm's length. If you can see any part of the creature in front of you, you're too close."

Although Fischer's encounter with the snake may have been a little too close for comfort, she said that, overall, it was a positive experience.

"To be honest, we all felt very privileged and grateful to have seen such a magnificent creature up close...and we were very grateful to the copperhead itself for leaving us be as well," she said. "If you live in Oklahoma, you have to learn to live in harmony with the twisters and the snakes."

Update 05/05/23, 10:36 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a new photo.