Biting, a last resort when escape seems impossible, can be costly to a snake by resulting in broken fangs and lost venom needed to capture prey. A rattlesnake that keeps you away by vibrating its tail is better off than one that has to bite you. A legitimate snakebite is one in which a person unintentionally and unknowingly provokes a venomous snake and is bitten. The odds of being struck by lightning or being in a car wreck are hundreds of times greater than the odds of receiving a serious legitimate snakebite in the United States. When someone sees a snake and then tries to catch, kill, or handle it, the bite is illegitimate.
Hospital records show that many snakebite victims actually picked up the animal first.
We can't place blame on the snake in such instances. Copperheads are one of the few venomous snakes in the country that often bite people who may be unaware of the snake's presence. But copperhead venom is less potent than that of most species, and a bite usually causes minimal damage to the victim. Either will teach you a lot about snakes and also link to others on the topic. Thus you can keep informed about what many consider to be America's most prepossessing creatures.