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.
HOOVER, AL — Mississippi State baseball had a chance to bust a myth in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals against Georgia.
MSU hasn’t had issues beating the bad and average teams but has struggled to get wins against the top teams.
A win for No. 8 seed MSU over No. 1 Georgia could’ve extinguished that, but Georgia (44-12) won 5-3 on May 21 at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium to eliminate MSU (40-17).
That leaves Mississippi State 9-14 in Quad 1 games, the type of matchups it will need to win to make a run to the College World Series. And four of those Quad 1 wins are against Ole Miss. Mississippi State is 31-3 in Quads 2-4.
“Their spirits are up,” Mississippi State coach Brian O’Connor said. “Obviously they’re disappointed about today. But they really, really believe in each other. And I feel like this team has the skill and want-to to play for a long time.”
Mississippi State had three weeks to prove it can consistently win against elite teams. Its last three series of the regular season were all Quad 1 — at Texas, home against Auburn and at Texas A&M.
Mississippi State lost all three of those series but didn’t get swept in any of them.
However, Mississippi State has been competitive in just about every game. It’s only been run-ruled once, May 9 against Auburn. Six of the 14 Quad 1 losses are by one run and three of them are by two runs.
“We’re playing well,” Mississippi State designated hitter Noah Sullivan said. “We’re all excited. We want to play at home, and hopefully that does happen. But I mean, this game, it is what it is. We didn’t do enough on both sides, and it just is what it is. We’ll move forward, get back to work and see what happens.”
Brian O’Connor believes Mississippi State will host regional
O’Connor said after the loss to Georgia that he believes Mississippi State will be one of the 16 NCAA Tournament teams to host a regional.
D1Baseball had Mississippi State as the No. 14 national seed before the loss to Georgia, and Baseball America projected Mississippi State as the No. 13 seed.
“I hope on Sunday the committee feels that we are worthy of that,” O’Connor said. “I know our fan base and the community of Starkville will do an incredible job hosting a regional welcoming the other teams. And I believe this team has earned the right to be able to do that.”
MSU hasn’t hosted a regional since 2021, the year it won the program’s only national championship.
The regional hosts will be announced May 24 before the full bracket reveal on May 25.
“We’re right there,” O’Connor said. “We just need to be a little bit better starting next weekend in those tight ball games.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
The SEC regular season champion Georgia Bulldogs (43-12, 23-7 SEC) begin the SEC Tournament against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. Mississippi State is 40-16 (16-14 SEC) entering their matchup with Georgia. Mississippi State is coming off a 12-2 run-rule win in seven innings over Missouri.
The Bulldogs enters the SEC Tournament having won 11 of their last 12 games. Georgia leads the nation in home runs. Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson was recently named as the SEC player of the year.
“We’re planning on going with our regular routine,” Georgia baseball manager Wes Johnson said ahead of the SEC Tournament. “From a pitching standpoint on Thursday, we have a lot of guys who will be ready to throw. I’ll see who wins the first few games before we announce exactly what we’re planning to do, but we’re staying with it. We’ve got guys on bullpen schedules, as if we’re playing a Thursday, Friday, Saturday series.”
No. 1 seed Georgia and No. 8 seed Mississippi State met three times during the regular season with Georgia earning a road sweep at Mississippi State.
Watch Georgia vs Mississippi State live on Fubo (free trial)
Here’s how to watch the Georgia vs Mississippi State game today, including time, TV schedule, and streaming information:
What channel is Georgia vs Mississippi State on today?
TV Channel: SEC Network
Livestream: Fubo (free trial)
Georgia vs Mississippi State will broadcast nationally on SEC Network in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. Tom Hart and Dave Neal are alternating play-by-play duties throughout the SEC Tournament alongside analysts Todd Walker, Lance Cormier, Chris Burke and Kyle Peterson, who will be calling games from the booth at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Georgia vs Mississippi State time today
- Date: Thursday, May 21
- Start time: 4 p.m. ET
The Georgia vs Mississippi State game starts at 4 p.m. from Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.
Georgia vs Mississippi State prediction, College World Series odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, May 20
We predict Georgia will defeat Mississippi State to advance in the SEC Tournament. Georgia swept Mississippi State during the regular season and has been elite against SEC opponents this season, so we can’t pick against UGA.
Georgia (plus-1000) and Mississippi State (plus-1000) both have top-five best odds to win the College World Series. Georgia and Mississippi State are only behind Texas (plus-900), Georgia Tech (plus-600) and UCLA (plus-550).
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Mississippi
Death investigation underway after Columbia Academy graduate taken off life support in Florida
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WDAM) – A death investigation has been opened after deputies in Florida responded to a life-threatening call involving a recent Columbia Academy graduate.
WDAM’s sister station, WJHG, reported that the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said Shannon Thomas Tanner, 19, was expected to be taken off of life support Wednesday after being declared brain dead.
According to the incident report obtained by WJHG, on Sunday, May 18, deputies arrived at a home in Panama City Beach and were told that Tanner had been drinking alcohol.
The report says an investigator asked someone at the home what happened, with the person telling the investigator that Tanner was “drinking too much.” EMS reportedly treated Tanner on scene.
BCSO is investigating the death of a 19-year-old from Mississippi
The cause of the medical emergency has not been confirmed, and the investigation is ongoing.
According to a GoFundMe set up to help with funeral expenses, Tanner was on his senior trip after graduating from Columbia Academy.
Columbia Academy made a Facebook post expressing its condolences for the family, saying the recent graduate was “the kind of person who can make anyone laugh, light up a room with his personality and dance moves, and make others feel valued simply by being himself.”
Return to WDAM 7 for updates on this developing story.
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Copyright 2026 WDAM. All rights reserved.
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