A beautifully patterned venomous pit viper — tan with hourglass-shaped chestnut crossbands. Excellent camouflage on autumn leaves makes them easy to step on. Bites are painful but rarely fatal.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The eastern copperhead, also known simply as the copperhead, is a widespread species of venomous snake, a pit viper, endemic to eastern United States of America; it is a member of the subfamily Crotalinae in the family Viperidae.
Source: Wikipedia — Eastern copperhead Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Medium-bodied with copper-colored bands shaped like hourglasses on lighter tan-pink background; no rattle.
Similar species. Eastern Hognose (non-venomous, upturned snout). Brown Watersnake (banded, aquatic).
Voice. Vibrates tail rapidly when alarmed (no rattle but the sound carries in dry leaves).
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Small mammals (mice, voles, chipmunks), small birds, occasionally large insects, lizards.
Behavior. Sit-and-wait ambush predator. Hibernates under leaf litter or in rock crevices. Most-encountered venomous snake in eastern US.
§ Range
Eastern US from Massachusetts to Texas
§ Habitat
Mixed deciduous forests, rocky hillsides, swamp edges, suburban yards
§ Threats
Habitat loss, road mortality, killing on sight even when not threatening.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the eastern copperhead is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Wear closed shoes in copperhead country. Watch where you put hands and feet. Don't kill — most bites are from harassment.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Eastern copperhead
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Agkistrodon contortrix
- IUCN Red List · taxon 64297
- iNaturalist · taxon 30798
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Agkistrodon contortrix
§ Sources cited
- The Orianne Society
- Davidson College Department of Biology
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List 2007
