Venomous snake named ‘Red Hot Cheeto’ for its spicy attitude, Texas park says

Texas park rangers recently had a run-in with a copperhead snake and “made a new friend,” according to officials at Dinosaur Valley State Park.

Located roughly 60 miles southwest of Fort Worth, the aptly named Dinosaur Valley State Park features many well-preserved footprints left by dinosaurs that once roamed prehistoric Texas.

But a venomous broad-banded copperhead was spotted near the Main Track Site, a high-traffic area at the popular attraction, park officials said in an April 27 Facebook post.

Park rangers wrangled the snake, which they dubbed “Red Hot Cheeto” because of its fiery attitude, the park said. Red Hot Cheeto was relocated to a more remote section of the park.

Armed with flesh-destroying venom and world-class camouflage, copperheads aren’t among the most beloved creatures to call Texas home. Still, many found themselves admiring Red Hot Cheeto.

“It’s so pretty....I have a hate hate relationship with copperheads though after being bitten by one,” a comment said.

“Beautiful but I don’t want to be friends lol,” said another.

Another simply noted: “That is a BIG copperhead!”

Others felt less generous, and wondered why park staff didn’t get rid of Cheeto entirely, instead of relocating it.

“We do protect all species of wildlife in the park!” officials said. “We do totally understand how snakes are perceived, and our Park Rangers have what we call ‘a healthy respect’ for them, but they are important to everything else in the park and do have a crucial role to play.”

Though copperheads are dangerous, they typically only bite when feeling threatened — and their bites are rarely fatal to humans if treatment is sought.

This story was originally published May 1, 2023 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Venomous snake named ‘Red Hot Cheeto’ for its spicy attitude, Texas park says."