Cherokee County

3-foot pregnant copperhead killed in Cherokee County

An employee skinned the snake they caught and measured it, recording a length of 32 inches and discovering that the pregnant female was carrying nine eggs.

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — The owner of a tree service in Cherokee County found a very unwelcome surprise when he went to remove a pile of logs.

Amber Barnhart and her husband, Chase Curtis, own C & C Tree Service in Canton.

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Barnhart says an employee was loading trucks on the behind their home in Macedonia when two copperheads came out. One of the snakes was more than three feet long.

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With their 7-month-old daughter and other family members nearby, they made the decision to kill the snakes. They were able to get one and tried to run over the second, but it escaped and went back under the woodpiles.

Barnhart says Curtis and one of their employees skinned the snake they caught and measured it, recording a length of 40 and a half inches and discovering that the pregnant female was carrying 15 eggs.

She said they didn't give a second though to the decision to kill the snake because of the number of families and children who live in the area.