Eastern Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Agkistrodon, Species: Agkistrodon contortrix
Venomous Status
Venomous; Solenoglyphous (front-fanged with retractable hollow fangs).
Danger Level
Moderate Risk; while bites are painful and require medical evaluation, they are rarely fatal in healthy humans due to low yields and relatively low potency compared to larger rattlesnakes.
Geographic Range
Eastern United States, from southern New England south to the Florida Panhandle and west to the Mississippi River and parts of Texas.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. Major threats include habitat fragmentation and persecution by humans.
Physical Description
Stout body with keeled scales. Features a distinct 'hourglass' or 'Hershey's Kiss' pattern of chestnut-brown crossbands on a lighter tan or gray background. Triangular head with vertical pupils and heat-sensing pits between the eyes and nostrils.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen appears to be an adult approximately 60-90 cm. Standard species range is 61-91 cm (24-36 inches), with a maximum recorded length of 135 cm (53 inches).
Habitat
Found in deciduous forests, rocky hillsides, and woodlots near water sources. Often utilizes logs, debris, or rodent burrows for microhabitat cover at elevations up to 1,500 meters.
Behavior & Temperament
Generally docile and relies on camouflage. When threatened, it may freeze or vibrate its tail which can sound like a rattlesnake in dry leaves. Most bites occur when the snake is sat upon or stepped on.
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous generalist. Primarily eats mice, cicadas, frogs, lizards, and small birds. Uses an ambush strategy with heat-sensing pits to locate warm-blooded prey.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous (gives birth to live young). Typically produces 2-10 young per litter in late summer or early autumn. Neonates possess a bright sulfur-yellow tail tip used for caudal luring of prey.
Venom Profile
Venom Type
Hemotoxic venom containing metalloproteinases that cause tissue destruction, localized edema, and severe pain.
AI-generated — see a qualified source if acting on this. For any snakebite, call emergency services immediately.
Look-alikes
Commonly confused with the Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon), which lacks the hourglass pattern and heat pits, and the Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum), which has smooth scales.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern. Major threats include habitat fragmentation and persecution by humans.
Cultural Significance
Commonly encountered in the U.S.; plays a vital role in rodent population control and has been the subject of research for potential cancer treatments involving contortrostatin.
Notable Features
Features loreal pits for sensing infrared heat; the characteristic hourglass bands are often narrower at the spine and wider on the sides, providing exceptional camouflage in leaf litter.