Just wanted to give a warning to MD/VA area ferret owners that enjoy taking
their ferrets to parks/river walks.  Last year along the Little Patuxent
River near my home, three dogs were killed by copperhead bites just from
foraging in the grass along the river path.
 
Just the other night, my husband and I were walking on the sidewalk and
came across a copperhead that slithered out of the grass.  This was near
the River, but on a road that goes over the river in a residential area.
BE CAREFUL!  I don't know the statistics on ferrets and snakebites, but
you can't be too safe.  With all the development going on, snake nests are
being uprooted and the snakes are moving back into areas that were their
homes before developments appeared.  July and August are very active snake
months.
 
I suggest going to the library and looking up what these snakes look like,
they don't get that big (by my standards.) At least not as big as the black
snakes (which are not poisonous) around here.  This way you can identify
them and avoid them.  Oh yea, watch your human kids too. :)
 
For your own sake and your ferret's sake...watch your steps!
Stephanie, Chimi & Pepe (the carpet snakes)
[Posted in FML issue 2751]