![]() ![]() Females actually prefer to lay their young in fresh water habitats so will swim up into bays and rivers to do so before returning to the ocean to hunt larger prey (such as large fish, dolphins, crustaceans, turtles, and even other sharks.) If you happen to encounter one (and that’s a big IF), they do give a warning before attacking with a definitive head-butt, so if you’re a duck, it’s time to fly! Bull sharks are unique in that, though they live mostly in saltwater, they can tolerate freshwater. Just last year, a fisherman caught a 310-pound, 8.6 foot long bull in the river. TRICK: Yes, their are sharks in the Potomac River! As their name suggests, bull sharks are big and quite aggressive. That means that they can accurately strike a prey animal just by sensing its body heat. Like the other snakes in the “pit viper” group, copperheads have heat sensory pits on either side of their head, between their eye and nostril, that allow them to detect minute temperature differences in their surroundings. TREAT: Though the fact that copperheads are skilled hunters is a bit frightening, what makes them such precise predators is quite cool. Here’s what to do if you encounter them on a hike. But these guys (and our region’s other venemous snake, the Timber rattlesnake) are more scared of you than you are of them, so with a little extra caution, you’ll be safe. But, when active, these guys are social, climb trees, swim, and blend in with their surroundings. Thank goodness copperheads have begun hibernation! They hide themselves away to sleep from October until early March. TRICK: Walking through the woods on a summer day requires extra focus to make sure you do not accidentally crush a “ Death Adder” underfoot. Spread the word about their conservation and soon this 170-million year old species may be back in our hometown river! Eastern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) They’ve been spawning and successfully reproducing in the James River, the Pamunkey River, and Marshyhope Creek on the Nanticoke River. TREAT: But wait! Are sturgeons returning to our waters decades after disappearing? While none have been spotted in the Potomac yet, sturgeons have recently been making a bit of a comeback in other Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Due to overfishing and pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, sturgeons are endangered, meaning less of them are swimming upstream to the Potomac River to spawn. Sadly, our Darwinian heroes do not receive the respect they deserve. They were swimming in our oceans over 85 million years ago and still do today. Mother Nature’s ultimate magic trick! Despite looking like a frail skeleton with whiskers, these fish have staying power. TRICK: There are not too many creatures that can say they outlived the DINOSAURS, but sturgeons are one of them. ![]()
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