CHARLOTTE — Copperhead snakes made up nearly half of all snake bites in North Carolina last year. The state topped the country with the most bites, 499 reported to the Carolinas Poison Center.
Grover Barfield was one of those bitten last year. In fact, he’s been bitten twice in the past two decades. Both times Barfield went to the hospital. Barfield’s recent bite, last September, cost the snake expert more than $19,000 for antivenin.
“It sank a fang in my knuckle and within 30 minutes my hand swelled up the size of a softball,” said Barfield. “It burned and stung like a bee sting but about three to five times worse. I could feel the venom as it went through each joint.”
Barfield said the severity of the bite varies, depending on the snakes recent meal, age of the snake and region.
Copperheads are common to North Carolina because they are extremely adaptable. They are commonly found in pine straw, dried leaves and wood piles.
While it’s uncommon to die from a copperhead bite, children, elderly and people with immune deficiencies are at greater risks.