ATTLEBORO, Mass. — A supposedly venomous snake that bit multiple dogs in Bristol County was a case of mistaken identity.
According to MassWildlife, recent reports of a copperhead in the City of Attleboro were unfounded, and the snake in question turned out to be a northern watersnake.
“Misidentification of snakes is relatively common,” a MassWildlife spokesperson said. “Common, harmless snakes like northern watersnakes and milksnakes are often misidentified as copperheads, which are extremely rare in Massachusetts.”
Copperheads are only found in a handful of locations in Massachusetts and very few people will ever encounter the venomous snake in the Bay State by accident.
Although copperheads are venomous, they are endangered and not aggressive toward people.
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