In North Carolina, there’s a lot of buzz around copperheads. Every year, The News & Observer informs readers about how to identify the venomous snakes and what to do if one bites you — or your pet.

Please don’t kill the Eastern kingsnake. Unlike other snakes, such as the copperhead, and like the majority of snakes found in North Carolina, the Eastern kingsnake is not venomous. And its population ...