The park staff at the Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glen Rose, Texas encountered a rather temperamental red copperhead. In response to his feistiness, they gave him a hilarious nickname.
In full disclosure, I’m not one of those people who are able to act calmly when snakes are nearby. Although I don’t scream and run away like I might have done several years ago, seeing a snake in my vicinity is the fastest way to get me to jump and twirl through the air in the opposite direction.
That’s why I’m so thankful for people like the staff at Dinosaur Valley State Park who not only remain calm in these situations but also manage to bring a little levity.
On April 27, the staff at the Dinosaur Valley State Park posted on their Facebook page about a red-orange copperhead snake they encountered near the main track of the park.
The staff observed the snake’s “feisty” reaction to their attempts to relocate his fiery-colored self to another area. And as a result, they have him a nickname that’s both funny and honestly, causes me to feel some compassion for the slithering creature.
They named him after an incredibly popular snack food among Texans these days: Y’all say hello to ‘Red Hot Cheeto.’
Seriously, that’s kind of fantastic, actually. I mean, just look at him:
Perhaps he just needs a few actual red-hot Cheetos to calm his temper. They always help me feel better. The way he’s eyeing that bowl, though. 😉
The park staff did finally re-locate Red Hot Cheeto to an all-around better and safer place–both for him and park visitors.
In response to the Dinosaur Valley State Park post, some commenters were curious why the park staff didn’t opt to remove the red-orange-colored copperhead snake from the park altogether. The staff thoughtfully responded that snakes are a key part of the park’s ecosystem and that all species are protected there. Of course, it’s always wise to be cautious when encountering snakes.
Here’s the original post if you’d like to read more of the comments, like their page, and/or learn best practices for those surprising moments when you encounter a being like ‘Red Hot Cheeto’ or any of his slithery cousins:
So what about you? Are you able to stay calm in snake encounter scenarios? What about other animals in the wild? If you have any stories you’d like to share, reach out to me at [email protected].
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