Poisonous Snake in Upper Nyack Yard

A close-up of a copperhead snake in a Palmer Road yard in Upper Nyack prompted Clarkstown police to issue this warning:

New York environmental officials say:

The copperhead is an attractively-patterned, venomous snake with a pinkish-tan color superimposed on darker brown to chestnut colored saddles that are narrow at the spine and wide at the sides. The top of the head is usually copper in color, hence its name. Although not as widespread, this species is found in habitats similar to that of the timber rattlesnake. The copperhead primarily eats small rodents, but will take anything from caterpillars to small birds. The young, which are born live, have a sulphurous yellow tip on their tail that is used as a lure to entice prey. Length: two to three feet, rarely to four feet.