Though not as venomous as other species, the copperhead snakes cause the majority of bite in the US. The copperhead can be identified by the stout form and the neck distinct from the body as well as by its pale cross-band tan pattern that gets darker in the middle and on the sides. Copperhead snakes have pale bellies, similar to the background, but their look could also turn whitish on occasions. The crown on the snake’s head is only marked by a pair of little dark spots, but there is also a rather discolored stripe right behind the eyes; this stripe looks very diffuse on top but it gets brownish towards the edges.

Copperhead Snakes

Copperhead snakes prefer all sorts of habitats, from rocks and pond areas to woods and stream shores. The choice of the abode is dictated by the presence of prey, as copperhead snakes feed on birds, frogs, mice, cicadas, caterpillars and other small animals they manage to hunt. Among the hide places for the copperhead, ,wood piles, stone slabs, walls, debris and abandoned or ruined buildings are the most common which explains the possibility of a human face to face encounter in such areas. The active life of copperhead snakes goes on in the spring and summer months and as long as the weather stays warm, afterwards they enter the hibernation period.

Copperhead Snakes

The dens in which copperhead snakes retreat during winter are their homes year after year, and usually there are bigger nests counting more individuals in hibernation. On very hot summer days, the copperhead snakes will stay in cooler areas during the day and go out to hunt at night. If the weather is just warm, this snake will lie in the sun on rocks or wood debris. The siblings of copperhead snakes are born alive and not hatched, and their number ranges between one and fourteen, with the mating period extending till mid autumn.

Copperhead Snakes

Immediate medical assistance is absolutely necessary in the case of bites by copperhead snakes since they have the risk of permanent scarring accompanying really unbearable pain. The best advice you can get when encountering copperhead snakes is to avoid them, because many people get bitten when trying to kill or even handle them. Snakes will not harm you unless they feel threatened, then, you will become the victim of a fierce attack by a creature that is just as afraid of us as we are of them. Statistics reveal that copperhead snakes have the highest incidence in bite frequency in the United States, because these snakes strike immediately without giving threatening warnings like other species.

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