RALEIGH, N.C. — Talena Chavis took a fascination in snakes and turned it into a business.

What You Need To Know

  •  Copperhead season typically runs from May to August

  •  Most copperhead bites come from people stepping on the snake

  •  Talena Chavis says people should wear appropriate footwear when out in nature this summer

In a market that seem untapped, she had a chance to make a name.

“We didn’t want to say snake busters, because we aren’t hurting them, so catcher," Chavis said. "It spells it out. What do we do? N.C. snake catcher.” 

Chavis’ knack for finding and relocating snakes has made her an expert on these reptiles.

In many cases, these snakes are harmless, but Chavis says it's not the case for one. 

“You know you probably always hear the phrase, 'the snake's more scared of you than you are of it.' Which a lot of my friends would disagree, because they are like, once I hear it scream, then I’ll believe that," Chavis said. "That’s true for almost all of our snakes, but it’s not true for copperheads.” 

Copperhead season typically falls between May and August, but the warm weather this year led these snakes to come out as early at January.

With a keen sense on blending in, Chavis says its important to be vigilant. 

“Your first line of defense with these guys is seeing them," Chavis said. "Which that includes looking when we’re outside. My clients who looked at the last minute were not bit.” 

While most copperhead bites are not life-threatening, Chavis says a bite can cause, in some cases, pretty substantial nerve damage.

She says if you’re unsure if you've stumbled across a copperhead, the only way to truly know is to ask.

“We all have our phones on us 24-7 usually. We can snap a picture and send it to a bonafide resource that can ID it for you," Chavis said. "That’s the only way to be 100% unless you start studying snakes.” 

As more folks begin to get outdoors this summer and work in their gardens and other activities, Chavis says it's important to wear the right protection.

“If people wore their boots all the time when they’re out in the yard and look where they put their hands, we could cut that number of bites in half," Chavis said. "I have no doubt.” 

Chavis also says while many people fear copperheads are in brush piles and under porches, they actually prefer completely dark locations, and their preferred time to hunt is at night.