After playing with my dog Ender out back in the yard I decided it was time to check the mail so I walked around the house wooosh a snake dashed across the yard and hid under the car in my driveway. I tried to get a picture of it to figure out what it was but I wasn’t having any luck so I ran in real quick and grabbed my hd cam.
As it turns out this is whats known as a copperhead aka a Agkistrodon contortrix snake.
Agkistrodon contortrix is a species of venomous snake found in North America a member of the Crotalinae (pit viper) subfamily. The more common name for the species is “copperhead”. The behavior of Agkistrodon contortrix may lead to accidental encounters with humans. Five subspecies are currently recognized including the nominate subspecies described here.
Adults usually grow to a total length of 50-95 cm (20-37 in) although some may exceed 1 m (3.3 ft). Males are usually larger than females. The maximum length reported for this species is 134.6 cm (53.0 in) for A. c. mokasen (Ditmars 1931). Brimley (1944) mentions a specimen of A. c. mokasen from Chapel Hill North Carolina that was “four feet six inches” (137.2 cm) but this may have been an approximation. The maximum length for A. c. contortrix is 132.1 cm (52.0 in) (Conant 1958).
The body is relatively stout and the head is broad and distinct from the neck. Because the snout slopes down and back it appears less blunt than that of the cottonmouth A. piscivorus. Consequently the top of the head extends further forward than the mouth.
The scalation includes 21-25 (usually 23) rows of dorsal scales at midbody 138-157 ventral scales in both sexes and 38-62/37-57 subcaudal scales in males/females. The subcaudals are usually single but the percentage thereof decreases clinally from the northeast where about 80% are undivided to the southwest of the geographic range where as little as 50% may be undivided. On the head there are usually 9 large symmetrical plates 6-10 (usually 8) supralabial scales and 8-13 (usually 10) sublabial scales.
The color pattern consists of a pale tan to pinkish tan ground color that becomes darker towards the midline overlaid with a series of 10-18 (13.4) crossbands. Characteristically both the ground color and crossband pattern are pale in A. c. contortrix. These crossbands are light tan to pinkish tan to pale brown in the center but darker towards the edges. They are about 2 scales wide or less at the midline of the back but expand to a width of 6-10 scales on the sides of the body. They do not extend down to the ventral scales. Often the crossbands are divided at the midline and alternate on either side of the body with some individuals even having more half bands than complete ones. A series of dark brown spots is also present on the flanks next to the belly and are largest and darkest in the spaces between the crossbands. The belly is the same color as the ground color but may be a little whitish in part. At the base of the tail there are 1-3 (usually 2) brown crossbands followed by a gray area. In juveniles the pattern on the tail is more distinct: 7-9 crossbands are visible while the tip is yellow. On the head the crown is usually unmarked except for a pair of small dark spots one near the midline of each parietal scale. A faint postocular stripe is also present diffuse above and bordered below by a narrow brown edge.
Venom
Although venomous these snakes are generally non-aggressive and bites are almost never fatal. Copperhead venom has an estimated lethal dose of around 100 mg and tests on mice show its potency is among the lowest of all pit vipers and slightly weaker than that of its close relative the cottonmouth. Copperheads often employ a “warning bite” when stepped on or agitated and inject a relatively small amount of venom if any at all. “Dry bites” involving no venom are particularly common with the copperhead though all pit vipers are capable of a dry bite.
Bite symptoms include intense pain tingling throbbing swelling and severe nausea. Damage can occur to muscle and bone tissue especially when the bite occurs in the outer extremities such as the hands and feet areas in which there is not a large muscle mass to absorb the venom. A bite from any venomous snake should be taken very seriously and immediate medical attention sought as allergic reaction and secondary infection are always possible.
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