{"id":3017,"date":"2026-06-22T17:37:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T17:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3017"},"modified":"2026-06-22T17:37:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T17:37:11","slug":"no-it-wasnt-a-copperhead-germanys-world-cup-team-saw-this-lookalike-snake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3017","title":{"rendered":"No, it wasn\u2019t a copperhead. Germany\u2019s World Cup team saw this lookalike snake"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

A snake sighting at Germany\u2019s World Cup training base in Winston-Salem drew international attention<\/a> after captain Joshua Kimmich described the encounter. The BBC<\/a> and other national media outlets<\/a> reported the snake was a copperhead, North Carolina\u2019s most common venomous snake<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more Target could open a new store in the Triangle. Here\u2019s what we know<\/a><\/p>\n

Team representative Ruth Pintner has since told the Charlotte Observer in an email that the snake was not a copperhead but a non-venomous water snake<\/b>. Pintner said Kimmich spotted the snake in a little creek and confirmed it was a water snake, not a venomous copperhead as initially reported by the BBC.<\/p>\n

Kimmich previously told the BBC, \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019ll die, but it\u2019s certainly dangerous. I have the feeling that if you step on a snake like that, it can end badly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pintner said the German players love nature and animals, noting they adopted a bird during the 2024 Euro and have planted trees in past years. The snake topic came up with a smile rather than as a real concern.<\/p>\n

The Observer previously reported on telling the difference between copperheads and other snakes<\/a> in North Carolina, plus copperheads\u2019 specific markings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Copperheads have contrasting brown crossbands shaped like an hourglass or dumbbell, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.<\/a> The shapes are narrow in the center of the back and wider along the sides.<\/p>\n

Northern watersnakes are reddish brown with blotches on one part of the body and bands on the other part: \u201cIf you look at those bands on the first third of the body, they\u2019re actually the opposite of what we see on a copperhead<\/b>,\u201d Jeff Hall, statewide herpetologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, previously told the Observer. \u201cSo the band is actually widest at the top and narrowest on the side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Brandon Marshall Under Fire for Punishing Son With 2 A.M. Run, Posting Video<\/a><\/p>\n

Copperheads account for most venomous bites in the state, though bites are almost never fatal, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.<\/p>\n

WakeMed Emergency Physician Dr. Benjamin German<\/a> recounted a 2026 case in which a patient from another country mistook a copperhead for a harmless snake from home, picked it up and collapsed within five minutes after being bitten on both hands.<\/p>\n

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.<\/i><\/p>\n

Questions about life in North Carolina? Or have a tip or story idea you\u2019d like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you.<\/p>\n

You can submit your question by filling out this form<\/a><\/b>. <\/p>\n

This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 1:31 PM<\/span> with the headline “No, it wasn\u2019t a copperhead. Germany\u2019s World Cup team saw this lookalike snake.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Orange County Commissioner Bedford dies at 67 from complications after surgery<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Germany captain Joshua Kimmich spotted a snake at the Winston-Salem base camp; team rep Ruth Pintner confirmed it was a non-venomous water snake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nNo, it wasn\u2019t a copperhead. Germany\u2019s World Cup team saw this lookalike snake - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3017\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"No, it wasn\u2019t a copperhead. 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