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 south 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, due to its wide distribution, presumed large population, and tolerance for habitat modification.
Physical Description
Displays distinctive hourglass-shaped crossbands that are lighter reddish-brown in the center and darker chestnut-brown at the edges, contrasting against a tan, pinkish, or light brown background. The head is distinctively wider than the neck, triangular, and often a solid coppery-tan color. Scales are keeled.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen in photo appears to be a juvenile or subadult, roughly 30-50 cm. Typical adult length ranges from 60 to 90 cm, with maximum recorded lengths up to 135 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
Diet consists primarily of small rodents, lizards, amphibians, large insects, and occasionally birds. Utilizes an ambush hunting strategy, waiting motionlessly for prey to pass within striking distance.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young. Females typically produce litters of 1 to 21 neonates (average 4-7) in late summer or early autumn.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, due to its wide distribution, presumed large population, and tolerance for habitat modification.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role in controlling rodent and pest populations. Often subject to fear and misunderstanding by humans due to its presence in suburban areas.
Notable Features
Features heat-sensing pit organs located between the eye and nostril on each side of the head, allowing it to detect warm-blooded prey in total darkness.