CLANTON, Ala. (AP) — Pit vipers called copperheads have bitten four children in Alabama in just over a week.
WRBC-TV reports that two 12-year-old girls were bitten during a nature walk behind a Chilton County high school, and one of them was being treated Friday.
Al.com reports that a 7-year-old boy was bitten Thursday night in one Birmingham suburb, and an 8-year-old girl on Sept. 6 in another suburb.
Birmingham is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of the community of Isabella, where the 12-year-olds were bitten.
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An assistant research professor at the Auburn University Museum of Natural History tells Al.com copperheads are found throughout Alabama and are common in some areas.
David Steen says they may be encountered more often in the fall, when they may be seeking mates or places to hibernate.