BY JESSICA HILL

As temperatures rise in the Carolinas, our cold-blooded wildlife will be waking up and snake season will soon be upon us! I’d just like to remind everyone that the majority of our native snakes are completely harmless and all of the snakes in North Carolina perform vital services for us and our ecosystem.

While there are six venomous species in the Carolinas, only one calls Iredell County home, the eastern copperhead. While just the name may cause you to shiver in fear, these snakes are just as scared of you as you are of them. They aren’t the monsters people make them out to be, and even if you were to be bitten by one of these snakes their bites are rarely — if ever — fatal.

Keep in mind that the majority of bites happen when you try to harm a snake or when you place your hands or feet somewhere without looking first. The best way to avoid conflicts is to declutter your yard and be aware of your surroundings when working outside — which isn’t a bad habit to get into these days.

If you do happen to encounter a snake this spring, please try to let it go about its business. And if you absolutely must move a snake or are thinking of ending its life, contact us and we’ll come out free of charge — no judgment and no questions asked! Please do not end a snake’s life for simply existing or for being in “the wrong place at the wrong time.”

I realize most people will never love snakes the way I do, but if you can find it in your heart to simply let them live, that makes you a wildlife hero in my book!

Jessica Hill is the executive director and lead wildlife rehabilitator at Carolina Reptile Center, which is located in Mooresville. For assistance, call the center at 980-435-2421 .