Copperhead Snake Agkistrodon contortrix. Reptile. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright © 2025 Now I Wonder. All rights reserved.

Complete Guide To The Copperhead Snake

ByChristine Species Guides

Copperhead Snake

  • VENOMOUS! Stay away from these snakes!
  • Seek IMMEDIATE medical attention if you are bitten by any snake, regardless of potential identification.

Copperhead Snake Images

How To Identify Copperhead Snakes

  • Copperhead Snakes are large, venomous, stout-bodied terrestrial snakes that can grow up to 53 inches (134.6 inches) (Behler and King 2020).
  • These snakes have copper-colored, wedge-shaped heads which are wider than their necks, and eyes with vertical pupils (in dim light, their pupils expand and appear nearly round).
    • Like all snakes classified in the Pit Viper family Viperidae, Copperhead Snakes have a large, heat-sensitive pit on each side of their head, between their eyes and nostrils.
  • They have a pair of long, recurved, hollow fangs at the front of their mouths, which they hold folded back along their jaws at rest.
    • When ready to attack prey or defend themselves, the snakes flip their fangs forward into striking position.
  • Their thick, heavy bodies are covered in weakly keeled scales and are light brown with dark brown, dumbbell-shaped bands.
    • The color and pattern of their bodies give Copperhead Snakes impeccable camouflage when motionless in leaf litter.
      • Baby Copperhead Snakes in NC look like the adults only with bright yellow or green tail tips (Gibbons and Dorcas 2005).
  • Copperhead Snakes live in all kinds of terrestrial habitats, including forests, swamps, meadows, farms, home gardens, and suburban areas.
    • Although found throughout North Carolina, the distribution of these snakes in NC varies throughout the year, as the snakes choose different habitats at different times of the year.
    • Researchers studied how Copperhead Snakes used different habitats throughout the year by tracking 25 individual snakes 993 times over the course of 41 snake seasons (snake seasons ranged in duration from 20-49 days). They discovered that:
      • Male Copperhead Snakes preferred open, thickly vegetated areas.
      • Female Copperhead Snakes preferred moderately forested areas with lots of woody ground debris.
      • The snakes congregated in rocky, forested habitats that included sites for basking and winter brumation in September-October.
      • They dispersed from these locations in May-June.
      • Individual snakes remained in their chosen core areas in June-August (Christensen et al. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70788).

Copperhead Snake Notes

  • Copperhead Snakes are venomous snakes that feed on a variety of terrestrial prey, including small mammals, lizards, birds, frogs, large caterpillars, and large insects like cicadas (Behler and King 2020).
    • Adults usually lie motionless and ambush prey as it passes by, although juveniles sometimes tempt prey closer by wiggling their bright yellow or green tail tips (Gibbons and Dorcas 2005).
    • When attacking larger prey, like rodents, Copperhead Snakes strike, inject their venom, then release the prey. The snakes then track the dying prey from a distance by smell (Gibbons and Dorcas 2005).
  • Despite being venomous, Copperhead Snakes in NC fall victim to a variety of predators, including the Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula getula).
  • Copperhead Snakes mate throughout the summer and are ovoviviparous.
    • Females give birth to 1-14 live young in the fall.
  • They hibernate through North Carolina’s winter in large, communal dens that can include many individual snakes.
  • While bites from these snakes are definite medical emergencies, the snakes themselves are not aggressive generally; they leave us along if we leave them alone (leaving animals alone is best practice with every animal species but is especially important with potentially dangerous animals like pit vipers).
    • The Copperhead Snake’s tan and brown pattern camouflages them beautifully in their natural habitats. As with many animals with cryptic coloration, Copperhead Snakes generally rely on remaining unnoticed by predators or potential threats as their first line defense.
    • If forced to do so by encroaching threats, they usually break cover and flee.
    • Only as a last resort will Copperhead Snakes actually strike in their own defense. In a study by Andrew Adams and co-authors published in Acta Herpetologica, a higher proportion of Copperhead Snakes showed no response to interactions than those that struck in defense (Adams et al. 2020).
    • This implies that humans need not persecute or destroy these incredible creatures. However, it is still vital to remember that these reptiles are not safe to approach by casual observers at any time.
    • Give Copperhead Snakes the respect they deserve—and a very wide berth.

Copperhead Snake Classification

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order / Suborder

Squamata / Serpentes

Family

Viperidae (Pit Viper Snakes)

Genus

Agkistrodon

Species

A. contortrix

Binomial Name

Agkistrodon contortrix

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Christine
Christine is the creator and author of NowIWonder.com, a website dedicated to the animals and plants that share our world, and the science that helps us understand them. Inspired by lifelong exploration and learning, Christine loves to share her knowledge with others who want to connect with wild faces and wild spaces.
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