Copperheads are, by a large margin, the snake I have most frequently encountered in the Great Trinity Forest. In fact, this well camouflaged fellow is the first animal I ran across this weekend as I ventured into the woods.

Copperheads are venomous snakes, but they are reluctant to engage in confrontation. This one began his retreat as soon as he saw me coming his way.

I discovered this specimen as I approached the Lemmon Lake dam. This dam is made up of a base of large chunks of discarded concrete with a covering of soil and gravel. In many places this top layer of dirt has eroded away exposing a labyrinth of nooks and crannies created by the haphazardly piled blocks of concrete. These crevasses then become excellent hiding places for Broad-banded Copperheads.

Lemmon Lake also fosters a tremendous population of juvenile frogs in some places along its shore. As you walk through these areas a wave of dozens of retreating froglets will develop just ahead of your next footfall. These small frogs make excellent snake food.

These two factors combine to make this part of the Great Trinity Forest a near perfect copperhead snake habitat.

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