Tennessee outdoorsman finds massive, nearly record-breaking Copperhead snake

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) --A Tennessee outdoorsman is sharing photos of a massive Copperhead snake found in Hardeman County near Bolivar on Tuesday.

Anthony Landreth says in his 52 years of being in the outdoors, he's "never seen a copperhead this massive."

One of Tennessee's four venomous snakes, Landreth whipped out the measuring tape for the critter which came in at 49.5 inches -- just over four feet long.

Landreth says he called the local game warden who then passed it on to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). "They are going to try to mount it for a traveling expedition," Landreth says.

Ironically, the snake met its demise not from being hunted by another predator, but rather roadkill. Landreth spotted the snake on the road and says he had to stop because, "I knew it was huge."

TWRA says Copperhead's usually measure 24-36 inches in length. Landreth says he was told this one was just 2.75 inches shy of a world record. According to the University of Georgia, the longest specimen ever reported was 52 inches long.