How to Identify the Broad-banded Copperhead (Identification Guide)

Key identifying features

The broad-banded copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus) is a subspecies of copperhead found in parts of central Texas and Oklahoma, distinguished mainly by the width and shape of its dorsal crossbands. As with all copperheads, the combination of a coppery-hued head and bold banding pattern along the body are the primary field marks used for identification.

Coloration & pattern

The body ground color ranges from pale tan to pinkish-brown or grayish-tan, overlaid with a series of broad, dark reddish-brown crossbands. What sets this subspecies apart from other copperheads is that the crossbands are noticeably wider and more evenly saturated across the back, rather than pinching to a narrow hourglass shape at the spine as seen in some other copperhead populations. The bands are often nearly as wide across the back as they are on the sides, giving the snake a bolder, more solid-banded appearance.

Head, eyes & scales

The head is a solid coppery-orange or tan color, generally unmarked except for a faint dark line through the eye. Pupils are vertically elliptical, consistent with pit vipers, and a heat-sensing pit is present between each eye and nostril. Scales are keeled, giving the skin a slightly rough texture rather than a glossy sheen.

Size & body shape

Adults typically range from 20 to 30 inches in length, with a moderately stout body typical of copperheads. The tail is relatively short and, in juveniles, tipped with a bright yellow-green coloration used to attract prey; this fades to a plain gray or brown as the snake matures.

Range & habitat where you'll see it

This subspecies occupies rocky hillsides, mixed woodlands, and areas near streams across its range in Texas and Oklahoma, often overlapping with other copperhead subspecies. It is frequently found in leaf litter, under rock outcrops, and along wooded edges where its banded pattern provides effective camouflage.

How to tell it apart from look-alikes

The broad-banded copperhead is most easily confused with other copperhead subspecies, such as the southern copperhead, which shows narrower, more hourglass-shaped bands that pinch noticeably at the spine. It can also be mistaken for juvenile cottonmouths, but copperheads lack the cottonmouth's blocky, more robust head shape and aquatic habits. Non-venomous mimics such as corn snakes have rounder pupils, more elongated blotches rather than continuous bands, and lack the heat-sensing facial pit.