Headless Copperhead

[Marks]

After months of looking I came across a copperhead yesterday on a gravel road right at dark. I killed it around 7pm and immediately cut its head off and went home. After eating supper and watching a little television I went out to skin it about 9pm. When I picked it up that headless little turd struck at me! I realize it didn't have a head and was harmless and I'm not normally scared of snakes but fight or flight kicked in none-the-less and I bout crapped my pants and simultaneously jumped out of them. Once regaining my composure I skinned it and the heart was still beating. I couldn't believe it was beating 2 hours later but I guess that is why they still move then instead of getting stiff like mammals do.

[PEARL DRUMS]

That's crazy! Id crap my draws to.

[Outbackbob48]

Whoa, that will make ya jump

[Marks]

From the time I shot it until I went out to skin it I never saw it move. When I picked it up by the tail is when it came back around at my hand. I have better reflexes than I thought.

[PrimitiveTim]

Despite not having a head the nervous system can run for quite a while.  Low metabolism means they don't die quick.

[BOWMAN53]

there is a video of a copperhead with its chopped off head right next to its body bitting and attacking it, crazy video. ill post the link if i can find it. 

[BOWMAN53]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkuL0ruDerM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[bowtarist]

In 2009 I found a hit timber rattler on the road, it was still wiggling around, so I picked it up careful and threw it in the truck.  I took it to a buddies and showed him and his wife, it was dead by the time I got there.  Got it home and skinned and as I was looking at the skinned thing I thought, "Wow, there's a lot of meat on there".  I fillet the meat off the bone, between contusions, and we fried it up for dinner.  My neighbor came over and asked if I'd cut into it's belly to see if it had anything in there.  We cut into it and it had a half of chipmunk in there that smelled like $#!^, we were all gagging.  Anyway, we looked for the heart and to our amazement...yep you guessed it, it was still beating.  I had snake in the belly of my family and the heart was still beating.  Pretty freaky.    dp

[Pat B]

I've been struck by dead snakes just like you. That's why the head always comes off first and gets buried deep or drop it in a chipmonk hole. 

[sleek]

Yup, head comes off and burried. Still very deadly even once severed. Dropping it in a chipmonk hole is funny Pat B.

[Cameroo]

That video just blew my mind  Very cool.  We don't have much for snakes up in Canada-land, so I've never seen anything like that before.

[sleek]

Snakes are just plain evil. End of story.

[bowtarist]

Snakes are just plain evil. End of story.

  You must I have to disagree with your statement there sleek.  You must be thinking of the one in the story about the garden of eden.  Snakes are awesome.  Kill lots of rodents.  We have had rat snakes living in the house, see them on the floor of the kitchen at night and I know we got a mouse problem that will soon be no problem.  And they taste great, nothing evil could taste so good.  All/most reptiles do  the things stated above.  Snappin turtles are notorious for biting after the head is removed.  Sorry, but snakes aren't evil, people are evil. dp

[sleek]

Nothing evil could taste so good? Ask my wife about cheese cake then    I knew some folks would not like my statement. And I agree snakes have their uses, but the ones that can kill you, I dont need them. Honestly I just dont do snakes. Nope....  I wont scream like a girl, but I sure do get uneasy around them. I owned a few, a spoted and ball python, and garder snake. Just cant get used to them for what ever reason. Except the garder, I was kool with it. 

[RidgeRunner]

That big Rattler I killed in the yard a few weeks back did the same thing.
It just creeps me out.

Froze the sucker then thawed him out then skined it.

David