Mississippi
Watch your step! These 6 Mississippi areas can be copperhead hotspots
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The Republic
Spring is coming. That means a higher risk of copperhead sightings as more people head to trails, parks and yards where these venomous snakes hide.
World Atlas has flagged six hotspots across the state where copperheads are most likely to be found.
But they can be almost anywhere in the state. People should be aware when outdoors and especially cautious when clearing debris from winter storms that have downed lots of trees and limbs.
Copperheads are responsible for the most bites in the U.S. (But rattlesnakes cause the most deaths.) The species isn’t aggressive and usually tries to avoid people, but they will bite if threatened or handled.
Mississippi is home to more than 50 snake species, but only a handful are venomous. Being bitten might be scary, but it is rarely deadly, according to Live Science.
Check out the places where you should keep your eyes peeled for snakes. Watch your step!
Where do copperheads live in Mississippi?
According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the Southern Copperhead is one of the most common snakes across the Magnolia State. They’re everywhere except the Gulf Coast and barrier islands.
Keep your eyes peeled in hardwood forests, pine country, old fields, bottomlands and even subdivisions.
The state wildlife department notes they’re often seen crossing roads at night and get surprised when people uncover them in wood piles.
They usually stay still or slither away quickly when people approach.
Most bites happen when a copperhead is stepped on, touched accidentally or when someone tries to kill it.
What do copperhead snakes look like?
They’re usually two to three feet long with a base color that’s light gray or beige, according to the MDWFP.
Juveniles have a bright yellow tail, and sometimes adults have a slight pink or orange tint. Darker, hourglass-shaped bands are sometimes compared to the shape of a Hershey’s Kiss, especially from the side view.
Copperheads are pit vipers, meaning they have a heat-sensing pit between their eyes and their nostrils.
Their eyes have vertical slits, like a cat.
What do copperheads eat?
Copperheads eat small birds, frogs, lizards, rodents and bugs. MDWFP says they especially like cicadas. So they’re more likely to be where food is easy to find.
“They do best where ground cover is thick and moisture is nearby, such as in accumulated leaf litter, downed limbs, brush piles, and shaded edges that support common prey, like frogs, lizards, and rodents.” World Atlas wrote.
What are copperhead hotspots in Mississippi?
World Atlas highlighted several parks and wildlife areas where copperheads could thrive, “especially along creeks, wooded slopes, and mixed hardwood bottoms.”
They advise caution when stepping off regular trails and extra alertness at night, near water, and in brushy areas.
Tishomingo State Park
The park has large rock formations and trails through the woods. Leaf litter provides ground coverage. Areas along the creek are good areas for copperheads to hunt for prey while camouflaged.
Clark Creek Natural Area
“The park itself warns visitors they may see venomous snakes, which makes sense, given the area’s shaded ravines, wet rock, and dense woodland corridors that stay humid even when nearby uplands dry out,” World Atlas wrote. The park’s isolation makes it a great spot for wildlife to flourish.
De Soto National Forest
The De Soto National Forest has a variety of terrains where copperheads can hide and hunt, including sandy areas, swamps and hardwood forests. World Atlas warns hikers to be extra careful ” around sunny sandbars and the leaf line where the lowlands transition to higher ground.”
Holly Springs National Forest
The Holly Springs National Forest is another wide area with different environments where the snakes could be heavy on the ground. The lakes and campsites can be attractive to the rodents and amphibians that the snakes like to eat, and the forested areas provide cover that could make a run-in easier.
Tombigbee National Forest and the Davis Lake area
Pine and hardwood forests are near the lake, so most of the action is likely to be right against the water. Near Davis Lake, World Atlas says to be cautious near “shaded tent pads, downed limbs near the bank, and the leaf line beside roads and trails.”
Homochitto National Forest
Homochitto National Forest has creeks and drainage patterns that can make damp places where copperheads hide in what’s normally a dry area. Be aware near “streamside leaf mats, root tangles, and brushy edges.”
What should you do if you see a copperhead?
Encountering a copperhead doesn’t have to ruin your hike. Most copperheads are shy and will avoid humans, but it’s smart to know what to do.
- Keep your distance
- Back away slowly
- Watch your step
- Protect pets and kids
- Don’t try to kill it: copperheads are protected in some areas, and most bites happen when people handle snakes.
- Seek help if bitten: Even though bites are rarely fatal, get medical attention immediately.
How many venomous snakes live in Mississippi? See photos
The Mississippi Poison Control Center via the University of Mississippi Medical Center lists six venomous snakes and other animals, like spiders, stingrays and jellyfish.
The list of dangerous snakes includes:
- Copperheads
- Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes
- Water Moccasins (also called Cottonmouths)
- Timber Rattlesnakes
- Pygmy Rattlesnakes
- Coral Snakes
Snake Snap lists eight snakes with venom. The extras come from listings of more variations of some species: Western Cottonmouth and Northern Cottonmouth, along with the Dusky and Western variations of Pygmy Rattlesnakes.
How rare are snake bites?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7,000 to 8,000 people get a venomous snake bite in the U.S. each year.
Only about five people a year die, but some bites can cause long-term injuries. Up to 44% of people bitten by rattlesnakes have other health problems, like losing a finger.
How many people in Mississippi die from snake bites?
World Population Review estimates about 236 venomous snake bites per year in Mississippi, or about 11 incidents for every 100,000 people.
Deadly bites are extremely rare. The site hasn’t tracked any in Mississippi since 1970.
One of, if not the only, death in decades came in 2000 when the Brookhaven Daily Leader reported the death of Tommy Tanksley, 80, of Monticello.
According to the article, Tanksley was bitten by a rattlesnake and while driving to a hospital, he was involved in an accident. It was unclear if the bite caused his death or contributed to it.
Contributing: Nina Tran
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY Network. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter in Alabama for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect Team. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@usatodayco.com.
This week on Behind the Lens: “Paraquat and Parkinson’s.” Wayne County, Mississippi is the largest emitter of paraquat in the world, an herbicide linked to the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease. Environmental reporter Delaney Nolan explains the safety concerns and what they could mean for affected communities.
Theme music by Podington Bear. Additional music includes “Rumor” by Podington Bear (soundofpicture.com) and “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell.
This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri, in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation.
Music Credits:
Theme music by Podington Bear
Additional music “Rumor” by Podington Bear from soundofpicture.com and “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchel
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Powerball jackpots are about to be much larger. Reporter explains.
USA TODAY’s Fernando Cervantes explains the historic agreement with the UK National Lottery.
Check your Powerball tickets. One sold in Mississippi is worth at least $2 million.
Across the U.S., at least 91 lottery tickets won $1 million in the Wednesday, April 29 drawing, according to the Powerball website.
That includes two tickets that won the jackpot. They were sold in Indiana and Kansas.
The estimated jackpot was $143.4 million ($65.2 million cash prize).
The winning numbers were 3, 19, 35, 51, 67 and Powerball 15. The multiplier was 2x.
Here’s what we know about where the winning ticket was bought, how many tickets are worth at least $1 million and how to file for lottery winnings in Mississippi.
Where was the $2 million Powerball ticket sold in Mississippi?
One ticket in Mississippi matched all five white balls and had the Power Play option. The odds of matching the five white balls is 1 in 11,688,053.52, according to the Powerball website.
The Mississippi Lottery Corporation said the multi-million-dollar-winning ticket was sold at Doc’s Quick Stop Exxon in Byhalia.
27 tickets win $2 million in latest drawing
Just because you didn’t get the Powerball doesn’t mean you didn’t win big.
Twenty-seven tickets matched the five white balls and had the Power Play option to win $2 million each. They were sold in:
- Arkansas: 1
- Illinois: 1
- Indiana: 5
- Kansas: 1
- Louisiana: 5
- Mississippi: 1
- New Jersey: 4
- Oregon: 3
- Pennsylvania : 2
- Rhode Island: 1
- South Carolina: 1
- Wisconsin: 2
How many Powerball tickets are worth $1 million?
Sixty-two tickets matched the five white balls to win $1 million each. They were sold in:
- Arkansas: 1
- Arizona: 1
- California: 1
- Georgia: 1
- Illinois: 3
- Indiana: 14
- Kansas: 5
- Kentucky: 1
- Louisiana: 6
- Michigan: 1
- Minnesota: 1
- Missouri: 1
- Nebraska: 2
- New Jersey: 14
- Oregon: 1
- Pennsylvania: 5
- Wisconsin: 4
Some are calling Wednesday’s Powerball drawing the luckiest ever.
A news release announcing where jackpot-winning tickets were sold is usually posted to the Powerball website the morning after a drawing. However, a news release related to the Wednesday drawing winners had not been posted as of 1 p.m. Thursday, April 30.
Can you claim a lottery jackpot anonymously in Mississippi? How?
Yes, Mississippi lets lottery winners claim a jackpot of any size anonymously.
Mississippi Lottery won’t disclose your identity without written permission.
I won the lottery in Mississippi! How do I get my money?
The Mississippi Lottery advises people to sign the back of their winning ticket immediately.
If your prize is less than $600, you can claim that at any place that sells Mississippi Lottery tickets.
If you win $600-$99,999, you can claim by mail or by going to the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters in Flowood.
All prizes more than $100,000 must be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters.
What are the rules to claim a Powerball prize?
Powerball prizes must be claimed within one year from the date of the drawing.
Powerball jackpot winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity, paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump-sum payment. Both advertised prize options are prior to federal and jurisdictional taxes, according to the Powerball website.
A Mississippi man is charged with killing his mother after authorities allegedly found him trying to flush pieces of her flesh down a toilet in what a local sheriff called one of “the most heinous crimes that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life.”
Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., 29, faces charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of his mother, Lana Brown Bradley, 62, a retired teacher.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said deputies initially responded April 4 to Bradley’s home in Natchez, after her relatives reported her missing.
Jackson was initially identified as a family member of Bradley before investigators confirmed he was her son.
“This is by far the most heinous crime that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life. We weren’t out there that day; this was one of those things when we walked up. This was one of those cases that you will never, ever forget in your life. This is the type of case that follows you home,” Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten told WJTV.
Deputies were called to Bradley’s home after her oldest son could not reach her the previous day. Two of Bradley’s other sons lived with her.
“As soon as they walked in the house, they could just see where somebody had been cleaning up, and they could smell chemicals all throughout the house. Floor was extremely slippery. And the older son said that this is just unusual for the youngest son to be cleaning up the house like that,” Patten explained.
Jackson, the youngest son, was found in a bathroom where deputies allegedly saw a black substance in the toilet.
“I can say what was in the toilet, and it was her flesh. He chopped her up in pieces and dismembered her in a way that whoever came looking for her would have to do their due diligence to find her, and that’s just what we did,” the sheriff said.
Authorities stated that Jackson had allegedly placed his mother’s body parts in a suitcase and flushed the rest down the toilet after dismembering her.
Bradley had threatened to evict her son from the home, according to the sheriff, who cited interviews with family members stating that Jackson was mentally unstable.
However, Patten noted that Jackson was “very calculating” when he allegedly committed the crime.
“He had threatened her the day before because she was looking to have him evicted from the home. She was in the process of doing so and had just gone to court the day before to have him removed from the home,” Patten explained.
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