Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Agkistrodon, Species: A. contortrix
Eastern and central North America, ranging from Massachusetts south to northern Florida, and west to Nebraska and Texas.
Look up 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, though local populations face threats from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional killing.
Physical Description
Robust body with a distinct hourglass-shaped pattern of dark brown or reddish-brown crossbands on a lighter tan, pinkish, or light brown background. The head is noticeably wide and triangular, distinct from the neck.
Size & Dimensions
Estimated specimen length is around 60 cm (subadult or small adult); typical adult size ranges from 50 to 95 cm, with maximum lengths exceeding 130 cm.
Habitat
Deciduous forests, mixed woodlands, rocky hillsides, wetland edges, and frequently suburban areas near wooded patches, utilizing cover such as logs, rocks, and leaf litter.
Diet & Feeding
Diet consists primarily of small rodents, lizards, amphibians, large insects, and small birds. They utilize an ambush hunting strategy, lying motionless in leaf litter to wait for passing prey.
Reproduction
Viviparous (live-bearing), giving birth to litters typically ranging from 1 to 21 young between late summer and early autumn. Mating generally occurs in the spring or late summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, though local populations face threats from habitat fragmentation, road mortality, and intentional killing.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role in controlling rodent populations, though they frequently encounter humans due to overlapping suburban and rural habitats.
Notable Features
Features distinct thermal pit organs between the eye and nostril used for detecting warm-blooded prey, and characteristic hourglass crossbands that narrow along the spine.