How to Identify a Copperhead Snake
The copperhead snake may have more misinformation spread about them than any other creature in North America. Unfortunately, very few people know the truth about these amazing snakes. As a result of the fear of encountering this animal, countless non-venomous serpents are killed each year as they fear that it could be a copperhead. With a few tips you’ll learn below, you’ll be prepared to identify a copperhead snake look alike vs a real copperhead in case you encounter one.
The first thing you will find usually is a visual snake. You will usually see the side of the snake first, and if you notice the pattern on the side sort of looks like it’s made up of a bunch of “Hershey Kisses” that are lined up next to each other. Both sides of the snake are about the same. They have a lighter brown base color that features a lighter brown Hershey’s Kisses pattern on the side. The top of the copperhead is usually staggered or more symmetrical. The only other snake that closely mimics this pattern is the cottonmouth which is also the copperhead’s closest cousin.
Now the copperhead belongs to the pit-viper family. In the front of the face you’ll notice that they have actual pits. So not only does it have nostrils but separate holes as well that are called heat pits which are used to sense heat.
In the pit-viper family, you have copperheads, all kinds of rattlesnakes, and the water moccasin. There are also known as the cottonmouth, all of which are pit-vipers.
Besides the pits though, they also have cat-like eyes, and not every snake has cat-like eyes. In the US there are generally four kinds of venomous snakes and three of them are the pit-vipers, but there’s also the corral snake. The corral snake will not have the heat pits, it will have round pupils, and it’s normally going to be black, white, and, red. However, you may come across one that’s black, yellow, and red depending on where you are.
The other thing you’re going to see is that pit-vipers have fangs. If you’re that close to notice though, you’re probably in trouble. An interesting thing as well with pit-vipers, including this copperhead, is that normally where they have their vent (which is where they urinate, mate, and poop from), on a non-venomous snake you will have single belly scales all the way down the belly, until you come to the tail where they’ll become ‘split-scale’. Also, as a baby copperhead tail will actually be green or yellow.
Copperheads are beautiful snakes, but they are one of the venomous ones and nocturnal as well. Therefore, be sure to wear shoes when you’re out at night. But again, the easiest way to identify is to notice the Herhsey’s Kisses shape pattern. If you get a little closer check out the pits and the eyes.
Copperhead vs Black Rat
Now I will compare the copperhead for you to a nonvenomous snake, a black rat snake. The copperhead and black rat are very commonly misidentified for each other. The black rat snake is a beautiful specimen. You will notice that it has single scales on the belly and after the vent it has the split scales coming from each side. I’ve actually grabbed snakes down by ponds before by the tail, picked them up, and actually looked at what the belly scales look like. Note this is just to know if I was dealing with something that was venomous or not; that one happened to be a northern water snake, and it puffed up and looked very much like a water moccasin. It took me a minute to actually identify it because I was hanging onto it.
You’ll notice the black rat snake has round pupils and nostrils, but no vents or heat pits, and no fangs.
To recap, the differences between the copperhead vs the rat snake are the eyes, pits, tail, and the side looks nothing like Hershey’s.
If you happen to encounter a snake in the wild though, just let it be. If you don’t know what it is it will usually run away from you if you don’t bother it. A lot of the times I catch snakes it is because I am actively running after them and chasing them. When they try to bite me it’s because they are being defensive because I am being aggressive towards them in a sense. I’ve never been chased by a snake yet, I’ve never been bit by a venomous snake yet.
If You Are Bitten By A Copperhead
Now, if you are bitten by a copperhead you should seek professional medical attention. The bites can lead to localized tissue damage, the venom is hematoxic, which means it destroys your blood cells. If you get bitten somewhere that doesn’t receive very much blood flow like a finger or toe, the risk of infection is very high. However, their venom is considered pretty mild compared to other pit vipers. For instance, a cotton mouth’s venom is estimated to be about ten times as potent as a copperhead. Therefore, bites are rarely fatal and in fact I think there have only been about six documented cases of a copperhead fatality. The reason for those fatalities was due to allergic reactions also, not because the venom itself killed the person.
So they are very common, venomous, but just like every other snakes they fulfill that middle layer of the ecosystem. They are crucial and very good indicators of a healthy environment. We will have to get used to having them around us because they aren’t leaving anytime soon. Copperheads are one of the most successful urban colonists of the reptile world. They are an animal that should be respected, and appreciated. Hopefully you have a good sense now on how to identify a real copperhead vs copperhead snake look alike. Thanks for reading, please leave a comment if this was helpful or if you have any other comment or suggestions!
