Can a copperhead spit or spew poison at you if you scare it?

Question

my father in law encountered a copperhead in the hay field. He went to pick it up by the tail to sling it out of the way so it wouldnt get in the bale of hay and he said when he slung it it spewed or spit some nasty stinking stuff in his face that burned. If it was not venom, what could it have been?

Answer 1

Only some cobras spit their venom. In addition, most of the "copperheads" encountered by people who say they found them turn out to be non-venomous snakes. Was your father-in-law working with some joker who was chewing tobacco?

Answer 2

It wasn't venom. It was probably just musk. Musk is a mix of blood, urine, and f***s. And it STINKS! No North American snake can spit venom, they can only inject it by biting.

Answer 3

The snake probably barfed in his face.  A copperhead only has a small amount of venom and they never spit it.

Answer 4

No they cannot spit or spew venom. I doubt it was even a copperhead in a hay field. it  may have excreted some... well i forget what its called but its used as a defense mechanism like a stink bug almost, it admits a pungent whit secretion from its rear end, and it didn't spray it if anything he got it on his hands and wiped his face but it still shouldn't have burned.

Answer 5

no

Answer 6

I don't know but they can't spit venom.  Also the venom wouldn't burn or stink so I don't know what that could have been maybe the snake crawled through something.

Answer 7

Copperheads can only transfer venom through their fangs by a bite, they cannot spit it.

Even venomous snakes will try to escape or use other methods to defend itself before it ever attempts to bite. It is likely the snake emitted it's awful musky odor and defecated to deter the perceived threat(your dad), in order to defend itself. Wild garter snakes also do this quite often when caught.

While kinda gross, it's harmless, just wash it off well.

Answer 8

That would be musk. Musk has a very foul smell. Almost all snakes have musk glands by their vent. Nothing poisonous in the musk.