Eastern Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Agkistrodon, Species: A. contortrix
Eastern and central North America, ranging from Massachusetts down to northern Florida, and west to Nebraska and Texas.
Look up Eastern Copperhead in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Agkistrodon, Species: A. contortrix
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Threats include habitat destruction, intentional killing by humans, and road mortality.
Physical Description
Characterized by pale tan to pinkish-brown body coloration overlaid with distinctive darker, hourglass-shaped crossbands that are narrow at the top and wide at the sides. The head is noticeably wider than the neck, copper-red in color, and features vertical elliptical pupils and facial heat-sensing pits.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen is approximately 60-75 cm; typical adult length ranges from 60 to 90 cm, with maximum lengths exceeding 100 cm.
Habitat
Deciduous forests, mixed woodlands, rocky hillsides, wetland edges, and suburban areas near wooded patches, typically at elevations from sea level to 1,500 meters.
Diet & Feeding
Predominantly carnivorous, feeding on small mammals, birds, frogs, lizards, and large insects. Utilizes an ambush hunting strategy, often remaining motionless in leaf litter to strike passing prey.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives live birth), producing litters typically ranging from 3 to 10 young born in late summer or early autumn.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Threats include habitat destruction, intentional killing by humans, and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important role in local ecosystems by controlling rodent and small mammal populations. Frequently encountered near human habitations due to suburban encroachment.
Notable Features
Features specialized heat-sensing pits located between the eye and the nostril, which allow the snake to detect thermal radiation from warm-blooded prey in complete darkness.