GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) -- As the weather is getting warmer in Eastern North Carolina, people are starting to see more copperhead snakes. "Copperheads are a venomous snake. They're common in this part of North Carolina. You do see them on the greenways relatively frequently when the sun's out, st arts to warm up, especially in the spring, as the asphalt or the trail surface warms up," Ben Thompson with Greenville Recreation and Parks said. "They're looking to get in the sun because they are cold-blooded. So, they're just finding a place to warm up. They're not trying to bother anybody. They're just doing their thing. Getting warm for the day." Experts said to leave a copperhead alone if you do come across one. Invasive bass species spreads from western North Carolina to Piedmont Triad "I know that people have a large fear of snakes, and if you have children or someone that's compromised with their health, obviously there is somewhat of a concern," Environmental Educator at Greenville A Time for Science Madeline Vanmiddlesworth said. "It's never a bad idea to look for them in your backyard before you let the kids out to play or your animals. But, most attacks with copperheads happen because they're provoked." Runners on the Greenway have had their fair share of snake sightings. "Best thing to do is just give it a wide berth. You know, go around it, try to stay, you know, as far away as you can safely stay and not, you know, get in any trouble on the side of the trail," Thompson said. People may also find corn snakes around Greenville, which are non-venomous and are easy to tell apart from copperheads. "You can see how his head is kind of straighter and smooth, whereas, venomous snakes are going to have that triangle almost sphere-like shape and they'll have some bumps along their head," Vanmiddlesworth said. "Things like rattlesnakes have those really apparent overlapping scales that almost look like what people think of dragons' scales. They're kind of rough, whereas pop here is very smooth. His are just kind of pieced together like a puzzle." ...read more read less