Officials Investigate Snake Sighting To Determine If Venomous In Somerset County

PEAPACK AND GLADSTONE, NJ — After two residents claimed to have seen a copperhead snake and a dog was bitten by something and found with venom in its blood, more snake sightings were reported.

On Wednesday, Aug. 9 at around noon, Peapack and Gladstone Police Officer Matthew Kelly and Sgt. Thomas Scanlon were called to Liberty Park for the report of another snake sighting on the western bank of Liberty Park Pond.

Officers along with the township's DPW Superintendent found a large brown snake that was hiding in the grass, said Scanlon.

A picture of the snake was sent it to the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife Principal Zoologist Kris Schantz.

Schantz determined the snakes in the photographs from Wednesday were northern water snakes.

"They are not venomous, but they do tend to be VERY defensive. That is, they are very quick to strike if approached, reached for, and certainly, if handled," said Schantz.

Schantz noted that while the water snakes spend most of their lives in and around water, they only come into the uplands for a few things:

1. To shed their skins. This process takes about 2 weeks. Some will shed near the water while others may seek a warm, humid, sheltering environment further in the uplands.
2. To give birth to live young in August-early September. Once birthed, everyone moves to the water.
3. To hunt fish- and/or frog/toad-inhabited ponds on your property.

One of the snakes in the photo sent to the NJ Fish and Wildlife was identified as being in its shed cycle.

"The Peapack-Gladstone area is NOT home to either of our venomous snakes (timber rattlesnakes or eastern copperheads, formerly called northern copperheads). However, I never dismiss the possibility of someone illegally relocating one of our snakes OR someone with illegal “pets” that have escaped or were released," said Schantz.

Dog Bite

This investigation was spurred after multiple sightings of what people believed to be a copperhead were reported to police on Saturday.

On Friday, Aug. 4, a resident reported walking his golden retriever in Liberty Park in Peapack.

After he got home he noticed some sort of inflammation on the dog's paw. The vet did blood work which came back with venom in the dog's blood, said Peapack And Gladstone Police Sgt. Thomas Scanlon.

On Saturday, Aug. 5, two more residents said they were walking in the park on the bridge when they say they saw a copperhead snake that slithered off, said Scanlon.

As far as the dog bite, NJ DEP Senior Press Officer Caryn Shinske told Patch that the NJDEP Fish & Wildlife’s snake expert "could not state with certainty whether either of the two snakes he saw (the northern watersnakes) had bitten the dog."

NJDEP also looked into the bloodwork done on the dog.

"It is unclear if the bloodwork done on the dog is able to differentiate the venom as snake venom or a venom released by biting insects such as bees, wasps or spiders, all of which could cause the type of injury and symptoms the dog was experiencing," said Shinske.

Anyone with a photo of the snake(s) reportedly seen in Peapack and Gladstone are asked to share it so the NJDEP can have a biologist review the image to determine if the snake(s) seen is, indeed, a venomous species.

People may also report such incidents via 1-877-WARN-DEP.

Bridgewater Attack

Another snake bite was previously reported in late July. A Bridgewater resident was bitten twice in her feet by a copperhead snake and hospitalized for four days. Read More: Copperhead Snake Bite Hospitalizes Bridgewater Resident

There are two types of venomous snakes known in the New Jersey area - Timber Rattlesnakes and Northern Copperheads.

From 1999 to 2023, there have been 16 reported venomous snake bite occurrences to humans in New Jersey that NJ Fish & Wildlife staff are aware of, NJ DEP Senior Press Officer Caryn Shinske said.

However, those are just the reported cases as hospitals are not required to report such incidents nor are New Jersey doctors necessarily experienced in identifying venomous snakes or venomous snake bites. Read More: What's Your Chance Of Being Bitten By A Venomous Snake In New Jersey?

The Northern Copperhead Snake likes to live in rocky fields, berry thickets, woodlands, farmlands, and even old mulch piles.

Copperhead snakes are two shades of copper or a reddish brown, the lighter background color with the darker pattern forming an hourglass shape, wider bands on the sides of the snake and narrower bands across the back.

The head is a solid copper color. Young copperheads have a yellow-tipped tail.

A Timber Rattlesnake can be yellow or light or black or dark.

"Regardless of color, the Timber Rattlesnake has a unique pattern (the darker color). It is often in the shape of irregular blotches along the neck nearest the head and becomes thick, jagged, lateral bands across the sides and back. These bands are occasionally “broken” (i.e., not extending completely across) but overall, you can see thick, jagged bands remain," according to NJ Fish and Wildlife.

If you see a venomous snake contact the NJ Fish & Wildlife snake hotline at 1-877-927-6337. For more information about venomous snakes in New Jersey click here.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.