A Hot Cheeto Snake is On the Loose at this Texas State Park

The park rangers at Dinosaur Valley State Park came up with a clever name for a sassy snake they encountered on the trail! Dinosaur Valley State Park, which is about 60 miles southwest of Fort Worth, is home to many preserved footprints left behind by dinosaurs- hence the name.

These days, the park doesn't have dinosaurs roaming their trails, instead, the distant relatives of dinosaurs, snakes, are slithering about the trails. Which is how park rangers one day encountered a Copperhead snake who gave them a whole lot of sass.

They named the snake "Red Hot Cheeto" for its spicy attitude (nobody tell the El Paso woman who fed the Spider Monkeys Hot Cheetos about this snake!). Also, if I were a snake, I would totally want to be called a Red Hot Cheeto snake.

Aside from the cute name, it's good to remember that the Copperhead is venomous, but fortunately its bite is rarely fatal to humans! The rangers at Dinosaur Valley took the time to remind visitors of what they should do if they encounter a snake on the trails, and to also remind them that they are protected in the park.

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When someone in the comments suggested just getting rid of the snake, Dinosaur Valley rangers responded by explaining how crucial snakes actually are for the ecosystem.

I think I've mentioned before how terrified I am of snakes, so suffice it to say that if I were to encounter a snake on a hiking trial, I would definitely take the park rangers' advice!

If this Red Hot Cheeto snake that's on the loose at Dinosaur Valley park is too scary for you, then check out this much cuter snake who is often mistaken for an earthworm!