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The American copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) is a species of venomous viper native to eastern North America. Mature copperheads have a coppery colored head and neck. They tend to be smallish snakes, generally about 50 cm long (1.5 ft), but specimens up to 1 m long (3 ft) have been encountered. The body is thin by pit viper standards. There are five clearly defined subspecies. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ...
Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anenomes) Placozoa (trichoplax) Subregnum Bilateria (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ...
Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with...
Orders See text Reptiles are tetrapods, and also are amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane. ...
Suborders Amphisbaenia - Worm lizards Sauria- Lizards Serpentes - Snakes Squamata (scaled reptiles) is the largest recent order of reptiles, including lizards and snakes. ...
Subfamilies Crotalinae (Pit Vipers) Viperinae (Vipers) The Viperidae family is made up of two subfamilies: Crotalinae (Pit Vipers) Viperinae (Vipers) Categories: Stub | Snakes ...
Species Agkistrodon (from Greek ancistron, meaning fishhook) is a genus of snakes of the subfamily Crotalinae. ...
In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ...
Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as ▶ (help· info), and in English usually under the Latinized name Carolus Linnaeus (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), the name with which his publications were signed, was a Swedish botanist and physician who laid the foundations for the modern scheme...
Genera Adenorhinos Atheris Azemiops Bitis Cerastes Daboia Echis Eristicophis Macrovipera Montatheris Proatheris Pseudocerastes Vipera This page is about Viper snakes. ...
World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the...
To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10-1 m and 1 m (10 cm and 1 m). ...
To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between one metre and ten metres. ...
Genera See text. ...
In zoology, as in other branches of biology, subspecies is the rank immediately subordinate to a species. ...
- The Northern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen, is found throughout the northeastern United States It is reddish brown overall, with a number of chestnut-colored "hourglass" markings running down its back.
- The Southern copperhead (A. contortrix contortrix) of the south-eastern United States is generally paler and has more clearly defined markings, sometimes including a row of dark triangular marks the sides of the body.
- The Broad-banded copperhead (A. contortrix laticinctus) of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas tends to be smaller than the Northern and Southern races, rarely being longer than about 75 cm, and has wide bands across the back which are not narrowed at the spine.
- The Trans-Pecos copperhead (A. contortrix pictigaster) is similar to the Broad-banded, is of equal size, and has slightly hourglass-shaped markings, usually with a lighter patch at the base of each band.
- The Osage Copperhead (A. contortrix phaeogaster) of the mid-west has the same typical redish-brown coloring and dark bands as the other sub-species.
The genus Agkistrodon, of which the American copperhead is a member, includes 10 species, three of them native to North America (one being the well-known Cottonmouth). The remainder are found in Asia and the islands nearby, notable members include the Siberian moccasin, the Himalayan viper, and the Okinawan habu. Note that the three Australian copperheads are elapids and not closely related. Official language(s) None Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 15th 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² 211 mi; 340 km 400 mi; 645 km 0. ...
Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area - Total - Width - Length - % water - Latitude - Longitude Ranked 20th 181,196 km² 355 km 645 km 1. ...
Official language(s) None. ...
Binomial name Agkistrodon piscivorous Lacépède,, 1789 The Cottonmouth, or water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorous), is a venomous snake closely related to the copperhead. ...
World map showing Asia. ...
Species Austrelaps labialis Austrelaps ramsayi Austrelaps superbus An Australian copperhead is any of three closely related species of snake in the genus Austrelaps. ...
Genera Acanthophis - death adder Aspidelaps - shieldnose cobra Aspidomorphus - collared adder Austrelaps Boulengerina - water cobra Bungarus - Indian krait Cacophis - dwarf crowned snake Calliophis - Oriental coral snake Demansia - venomous whip snake Dendroaspis - mamba Denisonia - ornamental snake Drysdalia - Australian crown snake Echiopsis - bardick snake Elapognathus - little brown snake Elapsoidea - venomous garter snake Furina...
American copperheads breed in late summer but not to a fixed pattern: sometimes a female will produce young for several years running, then not breed at all for a time. They give birth to live young about 20 cm long: a typical litter is 4 to 7, but it can be as few as one or as many as 20. Their size apart, the young are similar to the adults, but lighter in color, and with a yellow-marked tip to the tail, which is used to lure lizards and frogs.
Like all pit vipers, American copperheads are ambush predators: they take up a promising position and wait for suitable prey to arrive. Roughly 90% of their diet is small rodents: mice, voles, and similar creatures.
American copperheads are venomous but almost never deadly to humans and are generally non-aggressive. In fact, American Copperheads may have the distinction of being the least venomous of all venomous land snakes in the world. They have an efficient venom delivery system, with long fangs mounted at the front of the jaw which swivel back to allow the snake to close its mouth, but their primary role is to kill mice quickly: the amount of venom a single American copperhead can deliver is insufficient to kill a healthy adult human. It does, however, produce immediate and intense pain, followed by tingling, throbbing, swelling and severe nausea. While rarely lethal, a copperhead bite can be very damaging 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.
The genus name Agkistrodon is derived from the Greek agkistron (fish-hook) and odon (tooth); a reference to the curved fangs.
In the state of Missouri, for example, about 200 people suffer from snakebite each year, mostly from copperheads, but there are no records of deaths resulting. Although an antivenom exists, it is not usually administered as the risk of a death through an allergic reaction to the treatment is greater than the risk of the snakebite itself. Therefore, most people bitten by American Copperheads endure their illness with only minor medications as a supplement. State nickname: The Show Me State Official languages English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City (largest metropolitan area is Saint Louis) Governor Matt Blunt (R) Senators Kit Bond (R) Jim Talent (R) Area - Total - % water Ranked 21st 69,709 mi²; 180,693 km² 1. ...
Antivenom (or antivenin, or antivenene) is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites. ...
Gallery
Broad-banded copperhead Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1050x700, 205 KB) [1] Title: Broad-banded Copperhead Alternative Title: (none) Creator: Rauch, Ray Source: WO-4397 Publisher: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contributor: DIVISION OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS Language: EN - [[ENGLISH] ] Rights: (public domain) Audience: (general) Subject: reptile, snake, copperhead...
| Southern Copperhead Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ...
| St. Louis Zoo Image File history File linksMetadata A03_2618_640x427. ...
The Saint Louis Zoological Park is a zoo in Saint Louis, Missouri. ...
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Safety The best way to avoid being bitten when in the outdoors in copperhead country is to be aware of their typical behavior and habitats and take appropriate precautions. Like most North American vipers, copperheads prefer to avoid humans and, given the opportunity, will leave the area without biting; however, unlike the rattlesnake, they are unable to make an audible warning of their presence. A bite is a wound received from the mouth (and in particular, the teeth) of an animal. ...
Genera Crotalus (24 species) Sistrurus (3 species) Species 27, including: - Sidewinder - Massasauga Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous New World snakes, genera Crotalus and Sistrurus, which have a small noise-making jointed rattle on their tails. ...
Copperheads often tend to "freeze" instead of slithering away; thus, many bites come from people unknowingly stepping on or near them.
Small hiding places such as niches in rock walls, woodpiles, etc., should be examined before hands or feet are placed in them, and one should stand on or bend over a fallen log to look for a snake instead of blindly jumping over. Favorite habitats include rocky hillsides above wooded streams. In the South, copperheads are nocturnal during the hot summer months, but are commonly active during the day during the spring and fall. A pair of stout leather hiking boots might blunt the strike of a snake. Heavy tramping of feet will cause vibrations in the ground that can alert snakes to peoples' presence, giving them time to quietly escape. The majority of snakebite incidents are the result of attempting to handle the snake or attacking it with an object.
If bitten, one should not apply a tourniquet or cut gashes or suck blood — the victim should be kept calm and be transported to a hospital as quickly as possible.
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