It's not a copperhead. Pit vipers (all poisonous snakes in the US but the coral snake) have slitted pupils like a cats. Yours one definitely has round pupils. And you're right that it's not shaped correctly to be a copperhead. Just think of all the crickets that little beauty was eating in your garage! Try the reptile/amphibian forum if no one here can identify it. Here is a link that might be useful: Reptile forum

You guys demonstrate my theory that cottonmouths are "passive-aggressive." Dangerous in that they don't move out of the path, often, and people who are not alert can step on them. Tales of them chasing people are usually highly exaggerated. This isn't to say it can't happen. Just that it's not a common behavior. My best cottonmouth story involved canoeing by myself on Rock Springs Run. I was in an area we call the Flats. Very shallow water, with a lot of grassy vegetation. Makes for slow canoeing as you try to glide through without digging up the bottom. I spotted a cottonmouth in the water, about 2 1/2 feet long, and close to the shore. It had a dead fish in its mouth. I don't think it killed the fish, but I can't be sure of that. But the fish looked REAL dead. It was a panfish of some type (bluegill, shellcracker, one of those) and quite wide, and this snake was trying its best to figure out how to swallow it. The snake worked its mouth slowly around the body of the fish, which was way, WAY too wide for it to swallow, and even tried to force it down sideways. The fish was probably ten inches long and no way was that snake going to get it down sideways. I let the canoe drift over fairly close, as I was enjoying the show. The snake finally began working its way towards the head of the fish, where it would have had the best chance to get it down, but suddenly noticed me or my canoe slowly nearing. If snakes could change expression, this one's eyes would have bugged out and his mouth would have dropped open. If they could talk, he would have been yelling "Holy Sheepdip! Where'd THAT come from??" He did a backflip away from the fish and took off for the weeds like a streak! It was so funny looking, I almost fell out of my canoe laughing at him. I always wondered if he came back later to finish working on the fish. But I didn't wonder about who was more scared by our encounter. He definitely was! Still...I am very careful on the river or in places where cottonmouths might lurk. They normally don't care if you approach them. I admire them, but I don't want to step on one or come face to face with one at any closer range than what I just described. I'm not NEARLY as brave as Wayne! Marcia

Welcome to Arkansas- don't worry about the snakes and such- you'll get used to them- We moved to North Central Ark about 12 years ago from Wisconsin and have never regretted it- Be prepared to wave a lot when out driving- for some reason everyone waves at every one else- and don't ever think that you can just "run" in the store to pick up something quick- people here like to talk- a LOT. I have been known to spend over an hour getting a loaf of bread!!! It's nice though- if you ever find yourself stranded on the road people will stop to help no matter what the weather! We live outside the very small town of Salem and it took our 2 older children some time to fit in with the locals but when they did they found friends for life- our 2 youngest were born here and I wouldn't raise them anywhere else- If you have ever heard jeff Foxworthy talk about rednecks you know what its like here!!! ( most of what he says is true) As far as the bugs and such- no different from anywhere else, Jonesboro does have a lot of mosquitoes though because of the rice fields. We get copperhead snakes once in a while- usually when they are out sunning themselves- they are not aggressive so if you leave them a lone they will leave you alone- we get a lot of black snakes too- they are good but they can get big so they seem scary- the biggest one we had here was about 7 feet long. We also have a lot of Armadillos that like to dig holes so watch for them- we generally just chase them off because we're not sure how to kill them. Where we live though our biggest pest is the squirrel- we have hundreds of them and they will eat anything- one year they dug up over 100 tulip bulbs that I had just planted- That is about all I can think of- the people here are great- none better anywhere. I hope you enjoy the area as much as we do. God Bless

Ah yes...Lined Snake heaven and full of all sorts of other surprises. That is one of my favorite herping places, but its so close to a metro area and I see so much evidence of irresponsible herping (i,e-not putting rocks back properly) there, that I am glad you haven't disclosed the specific location publically.