As North Carolinians bask in warm weather, so too do our state’s snakes, raising the likelihood of bites.
Copperhead bites are the most common venomous snake bite in North Carolina. They may be treated with antivenom, sometimes called antivenin. Copperhead bites are almost never fatal but antivenom is sometimes necessary.
Doctors and veterinarians both say patients (furry or not) should seek medical care if they are bitten. Depending on the severity, patients may need antivenom.
WakeMed emergency physician Dr. Benjamin German said it depends on the severity of the bite. Some are dry, meaning the snake does not envenomate the person it bites, and some can cause severe symptoms.
“The venom has to enter the tissue, and so I’ve seen a couple of cases this year, where people got lucky and they really didn’t have any significant pain or swelling,” German said. “For those patients, we observe them in the emergency department, typically for several hours, because we want to make sure that we don’t send them home, and then an hour after they get home, it turns out they did get some venom in the tissue.”
Other patients draw the short stick, and experience severe symptoms.
Possible symptoms, per North Carolina Blue Cross and Blue Shield:
- Puncture marks at the site
- Redness, swelling and bleeding around the wound
- Pain and tenderness at the bite area
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
- Difficulty breathing. In severe cases, breathing can stop
- Rapid heart rate or weak pulse
- Low blood pressure
- Vision problems
- A weird taste in your mouth
- Sweating
- Numbness or tingling
- Muscle twitching
German said the worst case he has seen this year was a man who was bitten once on each hand when he mistook a copperhead for a nonvenomous snake and picked it up. EMS put him on an IV, gave him fluids and supported his airway, but he was still demonstrating signs of shock when he got to the hospital.
“Even at the hospital, his blood pressure was low, he was demonstrating signs of shock, and so he required aggressive treatment … because that potentially could have been a fatal thing,” German said.
The copperhead is a pit viper, or crotalid. There are two FDA-approved crotalid antivenom options: Crofab and Anavip.
Most snake bite fatalities each year are not from copperheads, but it isn’t impossible. While you may not need antivenom, here’s how much it’ll cost you if you do.
Copperhead snakes are the “most common and widespread” venomous snake in North Carolina, according to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. National Park Service
Antivenom costs in 2026
The Charlotte Observer contacted four health systems to ask the cost of antivenom.
- Duke: Duke’s communication specialist did not specify the cost of care in 2026, but offered a YouTube video on how to avoid snake bites. In 2025, a Duke spokesperson told The News & Observer that a vial of antivenom would cost around $9,700, before factoring in insurance and charity care options.
- UNC: The typical charge for antivenom at UNC ranges from $46,000 to $78,000 for an initial dose of four to six vials, according to spokesperson Alan Wolf. (That comes out to $11,500 to $13,000 per vial.) Most insurance plans cover antivenom, and uninsured patients may be able to discount costs with help from financial navigators at UNC and UNC Health’s Financial Assistance Program for medically necessary services.
- WakeMed: The charge price per vial of CroFab anti-venom is $11,000 to $14,000, and the initial dose is typically four to six vials, WakeMed senior marketing specialist Kristin Kelly wrote in an email, noting out-of-pocket costs can vary greatly. “As always, the term ‘charges’ is not interchangeable with ‘payments’ as charges do not reflect the out-of-pocket or co-pay cost that a patient is ultimately expected to cover,” she said, adding additional vials would cost more.
Novant did not share the cost of care.
“Typically if they need to give more antivenom, then they’re going to bill for the additional vials of antivenom, and it’s one reason why we try to be judicious about it,” German said. “We don’t want to give any more than we need to give, primarily not to waste a valuable resource, but also not to have the patient incur more charges.”
Insurance
As Wolf said, most health insurance covers snake bite care and antivenom, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Typically, snake bite care is emergency care, and will be billed as such. Plan copays and deductibles will apply.
Hospitals may offer financial assistance programs for those who are uninsured.
North Carolina is home to six venomous snake species, including the copperhead. Smithsonian Institution
Avoid a bite, avoid a bill
The best way to avoid being bitten is to be aware of the snakes in your area and stay away from them. The News and Observer recently reported on where copperheads are, and how to avoid them.
If you are bitten, here’s a list of dos and don’ts from North Carolina Poison Control:
If bitten, do:
- Sit down and stay calm
- Gently wash the area with warm, soapy water
- Remove any jewelry or tight clothing near the bite site
- Keep the bitten area still, if possible, and raise it to heart level
- Call NC Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222
If bitten, don’t:
- Cut the bitten area to try to drain the venom. This can worsen the injury
- Ice the area. Icing causes additional tissue damage
- Make and apply a tourniquet or any tight bandage. It’s better for the venom to flow through the body than for it to stay in one area
- Suck or use a suction device to remove the venom
- Attempt to catch or kill the snake
If a snakebite victim is having chest pain, difficulty breathing, face swelling, or has lost consciousness, call 911 immediately.
A juvenile copperhead in Huntersville. Huntersville Police Department
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Eva Flowe
The Charlotte Observer
Eva Flowe is a North Carolina native and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. She joined the Charlotte Observer as part of the NC service journalism team in April 2026.
