A respected fisheries biologist and appreciator of snakes explains what’s true and what’s not about snake encounters at Cheat Lake this year.
You might have seen the videos and reports on social media over the past month of rattlesnakes purportedly taking over the beaches and waters of Cheat Lake. Well, the great news is: They’re not. There is no expanding snake infestation, and boaters and swimmers are as safe on the lake waters as they’ve historically been. Those videos represent isolated incidents and no cause for concern, according to one biologist who’s studied the rattlesnake and copperhead population in these parts for 50 years. He filled us in on snakes and the Cheat.
Coopers Rock State Forest and Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area, both of which are located near the waters of the Cheat River, have healthy snake populations. In fact, Frank Jernejcic, a retired biologist with the state Division of Natural Resources, has had more than 1,000 encounters with snakes in the area in the past five years. But Jernejcic—pronounced “jer-nay-sic”—goes looking for snakes.
The snakes aren’t taking over the lake. Jernejcic would know—he’s the guy in these parts that people call to report snake sightings, and he’s had no more calls than usual this summer. To put it into perspective, despite the healthy snake population in the region, he doesn’t even get sighting calls every summer. That’s how infrequently snakes and humans cross paths on the lake.
There have been a few reports this summer so far, namely: one timber rattlesnake snake curled up in tall grass on a popular swimming beach, another swimming from one side of the lake to the other, and a few male rattlesnakes twisted up in what Jernejcic calls the “combat dance,” a fight for dominance that has nothing to do with humans.
Rattlesnakes aren’t aggressive by nature, Jernejcic says, despite what people think. If you spot one, “you should keep your distance and count your lucky stars that you get to observe such a magnificent animal in the wild.” They can only strike a distance half of their length, and most snakes in the region are three feet long or less. They are benign creatures, he says, and they just get a bad rap because they’re venomous.
If the exceedingly rare and unfortunate circumstance arises that a snake bites someone, the person probably won’t die. In fact, up to a quarter of rattlesnake bites are dry, Jernejcic explains, meaning they don’t inject venom. He suggests watching for swelling and pain in the area, which should manifest within 15 minutes or so of the bite and which would signal the need for medical care. The hospitals in Morgantown are well-equipped to handle snake bites, he adds.
It is now illegal in West Virginia to kill a snake. There are a few exceptions in the law, but none pertaining to a sun-filled day and a chance encounter on Cheat Lake. And remember this: Jernejcic did an analysis during his 50 years of working with the snake population in West Virginia. In 67 years, only 14 people have died from snake bites in the state—and 11 of them were in church. That means only three people experienced a snake encounter in the wild that went bad in 65-plus years.
It’s a complete non issue, he says. Enjoy the lake without fear.
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM MORGANTOWN LOWDOWN