I used to live in Yellville and nothing this cool happened on my farm (or I would have called all you guys to come over).......................................................................
Snakes alive in Marion -
Copperheads Swarm Marion County Tree
By KEVAN MATHIS 08/18/2005
A research team from Arkansas State University is trying to figure out why at least 100 male copperhead snakes have converged at a cedar tree at Chuck Millers farm near Highway 14 south of Yellville in Marion County.
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YELLVILLE - A team of zoologists from Arkansas State University is trying to figure out why at least 100 male copperheads have gathered at the base of a large tree on a farm in Marion County over a three-week period.
The poisonous snakes have apparently slithered up to mark their scent on one certain dead cedar tree on a farm owned by Chuck Miller, who lives off of Highway 14 south of Yellville.
"The snakes started showing up in scads the last week in July and I've been watching them go to the same tree every night," said the 35-year-old construction worker who is building his cabin about 40 yards away from the tree.
Miller's five pit bull dogs alert him almost every night when snakes are returning to the tree or moving about in the yard. "My dogs either bark at them or even kill some of them (snakes)," he said. "My dogs have all been bitten several times but they are apparently immune from the venom."
To make sure people actually believed his story, Miller went out at the tree at night with a flashlight and used metal tongs to gather up about 100 of the pitvipers and put them in large plastic trash cans.
He then contacted Stanley Trauth, a zoology professor at Arkansas State University, who was so intrigued he traveled to Miller's rural north central Arkansas property to conduct research on the phenomenon.
"What's remarkable about this story is not that the snakes have gathered at this one tree," said Trauth in a telephone interview with the Daily Times. "What doesn't make sense is that the snakes may be moving toward hibernation sites this early for reasons we're trying to determine."
Trauth and Miller agree that snakes normally gather to move to hibernation sites in October, not in July and August. "We don't think it's because of the dry weather because we've got streams and a pond lower down on the mountain below the tree," said Miller. "The only reason I caught so many and placed them in a garbage can was so people would believe my story."
An ASU research team has already placed radio transmitters on several of the copperheads, released them at varying distances and monitored them returning again to the same tree. Other snakes were tagged with numbers and released to be studied.
Trauth took back a large garbage can full of copperheads that Miller collected back to his lab at the college to study. "For some reason, these are some of the most aggressive male copperheads I've ever seen," said Trauth. "It's natural for snakes to gather at the same place to leave their scent to let other snakes know it's a marker on their way to a den site. What's weird is that it's too early for hibernation."
Miller said a large number of copperheads gathered last year at another cedar tree about 50 yards away from the one they're using now. "I cut down that cedar tree last year and they're just using this other one," he said. "I also found several large timber rattlesnakes last year and this year I've found one pygmy rattlesnake."
Miller, who said he is an avid outdoorsman, said he feels completely safe camping out in a tent on his property with his 7-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. "Snakes aren't out there to hurt anyone," he said. "There's got to be a reason why the copperheads are behaving this way and we're just trying to figure out the scientific reason."
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Kari
haha I would like to know WHY?? why where so many contortrix at this place 
woo thats a lot! I wanna tell you guys this but I saw a adult Copperhead in my yard 2 weeks ago, but guess what, my brothers german shepherd was barking at it, thats how I saw it but it was funny to watch the dog, Max, he didnt get very close to the snake, he just sat there and barked at it, about 15 feet from it (he has never been trained by professional but has a very good manner and is smart enough 
) hehe, but thank god that he didnt go play with it!!. I got the snake into my "snake bag" and realeased. 
