Not long ago, I was showing a friend some of the sights in Vinton County. One of the places we visited was Lookout Rock in the Zaleski State Forest. This was also visited by folks on the OMLA 2006 Summer Foray to Vinton County. Lookout Rock is a massive sandstone outcrop on a steep hill, with smaller outcrops on around the hill. My friend and I hadn’t gone far before I saw a copperhead coiled beside a log. Had I stepped over the log without looking I might have gotten an unwanted surprise. This snake looked like it was getting ready to molt, so the hourglass-shaped bands across its body were not very colorful or distinct, but the broad, copper-brown head made identification easy. Copperheads are generally not aggressive unless disturbed, so we watched for several minutes, took a photo and moved on.
Eastern Copperhead (photo by Mark Runyon)
If you want to learn more about copperheads, or snakes in general, Reptiles of Ohio (Jeffrey Davis et al. 2021. Ohio Biological Survey) is an excellent, up to date source. I have seen copperheads near dry rocks on several other occasions, so when looking for lichens or mosses in this habitat, also look where your hands and feet are going. An unexpected bite would certainly ruin a field trip.
Eastern Copperhead (photo by Mark Runyon)