Can YOU identify the poisonous Copperhead snake hiding in plain sight?
- A Copperhead snake hiding in forest brush has actually left individuals puzzled
- The poisonous snake bites as much as 8,000 Americans every year
- And audiences preserve the surprise snake in this image would snare them too
Venomous Copperhead snakes are among the most common in North America – but one image of the serpent has left viewers scratching their heads.
The master of disguise easily blends in with its backdrop, causing up to 8,000 unsuspecting Americans to be bitten every year.
And a picture circulated around social media by environment page Missouri Wildlife is a brilliant of example of how adept the sneaky serpent is at hiding in plain sight.
‘This is why you have to watch every step in the woods,’ the page warned.
So can YOU spot the snake in the image below?
This image of a Copperhead snake camouflaged amongst dried leaves and woodland brush has left viewers scratching their heads
Although venomous Copperhead snakes bite up to 8,000 Americans every year, their snap is rarely fatal
Copperhead snakes are among the most likely to bite people in the US – but while their fangs contain venom, bites are rarely fatal.
Earning their name due to their copper-red tinge, the serpents typically hide out amid dried leaves and woodland brush.
As the Smithsonian National Zoo notes, Copperhead bites usually occur ‘when someone accidentally touches or steps on a snake that is well camouflaged within its surroundings’.
In fact, the snakes are so good at staying hidden that many people who took on the challenge of locating the serpent in the image above insisted the optical illusion was a trick.
‘They’re just pulling your leg. There isn’t really a snake there!’ said one.
‘Never did find it,’ added another.
After numerous people complained about failing to find it, the environmental page posted another image with the snake circled – but even that didn’t help everyone.
Even after the serpent was circled to help viewers spot it, many still maintained they would have been bitten after unwittingly stepping on the camouflaged snake
‘Even with help, my husband and I could not find it!’ commented a suspicious viewer.
Eventually some eagle-eyed individuals were able to find the coiled Copperhead’s position at the center of the image.
‘Once you see it, you can’t unsee it,’ said one viewer. ‘But I sure struck out without your marking it.’
