“I know what I’ll be having nightmares about in the coming days”

photo via National Parks Service

Oh my God, thanks to Paul for sending from the National Parks Service Facebook on May 22:

“Yesterday we spotted a northern copperhead in East Potomac Park. Although they are infrequently seen at the National Mall, they are common in the Nation’s Capital. Copperheads are known to expand their home range this time of year in search of mates. They are the only venomous snakes in the city, but their bites are rarely fatal; if you see one, remain calm and move away slowly. Like all wildlife in national parks, the copperhead is a protected species. And with up to 80% of their diet consisting of rodents, copperheads provide a very valuable service in controlling those populations in the park!”

Hopefully they don’t start falling from the skies.

If you spot a hawk or any interesting wildlife around town, lunching or otherwise, and get a good photo please send in an email where you spotted it to [email protected] and I’ll add it to the queue. Hawks around Town is made possible by a generous grant from the Ben and Sylvia Gardner foundation.