by State wildlife officials stated that the snake was probably misdiagnosed and was actually a lot more common, nonvenomous serpent after Attleboro authorities alerted locals about reports of an uncommon venomous snake.
Attleboro officials posted on Facebook Wednesday afternoon that they had received reports of a snake along the Ten Mile River close to Milk Street, which they thought was a copperhead. According to the city, two dogs were bitten by the snake.
In Attleboro, where the poisonous vipers have never been detected, the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, also known as MassWildlife, announced on Thursday that it has not verified any copperhead snakes. The state herpetologist recognized it as a northern watersnake based on a city photo.
Nicole McSweeney, assistant director of outreach and education for MassWildlife, stated that the organization thinks this is more likely to be a case of misidentification.
As stated in MassWildlife’s sfast facts about the snake, copperheads are venomous, rare, and unique. They are restricted to small, localized populations in the counties of Norfolk and Hampden, and they are endangered in Massachusetts. Bristol County is where Attleboro is situated.
According to MassWildlife, copperheads are frequently misidentified as northern watersnakes, timber rattlesnakes, and milksnakes. Watersnakes are deeper in color, far more prevalent, and non-venomous.
According to the state agency, northern watersnakes are also rarely spotted outside of water and will only attempt to bite if they feel threatened or cornered.
As of Thursday night, the city’s warning about the suspected copperhead was still up on the internet, despite MassWildlife claiming to have contacted the City of Attleboro on the instance of mistaken identity. A request for response from the city was not answered.
Molly Farrar works for Boston.com as a general assignment reporter, covering topics such as politics, crime, and education.
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