Get to Know Copperhead Snakes
Copperhead snakes get their name from their copper-colored heads and chestnut brown bodies. They are beautiful snakes, but they are feared and misunderstood. Belonging to the pit viper family, a copperhead snake has a heat-sensing pit organ that allows it to sense body heat in its prospective prey and strike with accuracy. Its head is diamond shaped and its body is thick, covered in ridged scales with patches that look like the shape of an hourglass. A copperhead can reach 2 to 3 feet in length. Copperheads are some of the most common venomous snakes in the United States, along with rattlesnakes and coral snakes. The coral snake is related to the king cobra, which is one of the most feared snakes in the world. Copperheads do not give any warning before they bite. However, most bites on humans are dry bites that don’t have venom, and most attacks occur on humans who disturb the snakes. There are very few reported fatalities from copperhead snake bites. Like most snakes, they are shy and prefer to avoid human interaction.
Where do copperheads live?
They live all over the United States. Of the snake’s five subspecies, the northern copperhead has the greatest range. It is found in the Florida panhandle, Georgia, Alabama, as far north as Massachusetts and as far west as Illinois. Copperheads have adapted to many different environments, and you can find them in wetlands areas, forests, and rocky hills. They can swim, and they are excellent hunters who use an ambush attack and venom to subdue their prey.
What do copperheads eat?
Copperheads eat warm and cold blooded prey. They are an essential part of rodent control, feasting on pests like mice and rats. They also eat fish, lizards, baby alligators, and other rodents.
What is their population in the United States?
As we explained in our article on snake populations, exact population numbers are almost impossible to estimate for copperheads or other snake species. While they are currently listed as “least concern” for conservation status, wildlife biologists note that all snake species have suffered global population declines. For this list, we’ve gathered information about the type of copperhead native to each U.S. state.
Alabama: 3
Eastern CopperheadNorthern copperheadSouthern copperhead
The eastern copperhead is the most commonly seen venomous snake in the state.
Alaska: 0
Alaska has no snakes.
Arizona: 0
Arizona does not have copperhead snakes. That’s probably not surprising because copperheads are primarily aquatic, and Arizona is very dry. Arizona doesn’t lack when it comes to other snakes, however. It has a high number of rattlesnakes and other species.
Arkansas: 3
The state is home to the broad-banded copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus). This snake is most often seen in damp, shaded rock crevices, abandoned barns, and rocky woodland areas. Arkansas also has southern copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) and Osage copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster). These snakes are sometimes locally known as “moccasins.”
California: 0
Although it’s a state with a healthy, diverse snake population, California does not have copperheads. All of its venomous snakes are rattlesnakes.
Colorado: 0
Like California, Colorado only has rattlesnakes in its venomous snake lineup.
Connecticut: 1
The state is home to the northern copperhead. It is one of only two venomous species in the state. The other is the timber rattlesnake.
Delaware: 1
The northern copperhead is the state’s only copperhead species.
Florida: 1
The southern copperhead is a Florida native. Although Florida has dozens of snake species, only a few of them are venomous.
Georgia: 2
Northern copperheadSouthern copperhead
Hawaii: 0
Hawaii has no venomous snakes that live on its land. Venomous sea snakes live in the ocean waters near Hawaii, and they may sometimes wash up on the beaches.
Idaho:0
Idaho’s venomous snake species are all rattlesnakes.
Illinois:2
Northern copperheadOsage copperhead
The state’s copperheads mostly live in wetlands, swamps, and forests.
Indiana: 1
The northern copperhead is native to Indiana.
Iowa: 2
Iowa is home to:
Northern copperheadOsage copperhead
Copperheads are protected under Iowa law. It is illegal to kill rattlesnakes or copperheads in Iowa.
Kansas: 2
Osage copperheadBroad-banded copperhead
Copperheads are the most commonly seen venomous snakes in the state. They typically stay far away from human activity and prefer to stay in woodlands and rocky areas.
Kentucky: 2
Northern copperheadSouthern copperhead
Louisiana: 1
Louisiana is famous for its reptiles, and that means it has a large, healthy mix of snakes. Its waters are home to the southern copperhead, easter coral snake, Texas coral snake, and several rattlers.
Maine: 0
There are no venomous snakes in Maine. The timber rattlesnake once lived in the state, but it is now extirpated, which means it is locally extinct.
Maryland: 1
The northern copperhead is one of only two venomous snakes in the state.
Massachusetts: 1
The northern copperhead is one of the state’s two venomous species. The other is the timber rattlesnake. Both snakes are listed as endangered under state law.
Michigan: 0
Michigan has no copperhead snakes. Its only venomous snake is the eastern massasauga rattlesnake.
Minnesota: 0
There are no copperheads in Minnesota.
Mississippi: 2
Northern copperheadSouthern copperhead
Missouri: 3
Osage copperheadSouthern copperheadNorthern copperhead
Montana: 0
Montana has no copperheads.
Nebraska: 2
Nebraska is home to:
Eastern copperheadOsage copperhead
Nevada: 1
Nevada is home to the southern copperhead.
New Hampshire: 0
New Hampshire has no copperheads. Its only venomous snake is the timber rattlesnake, and biologists say there are only a few of them left. They prefer to live in the densely wooded areas in the southern part of the state.
New Jersey: 1
Northern copperhead
The copperhead is listed as a species of special concern in New Jersey.
New Mexico: 0
New Mexico has a huge diversity of snakes, and it is home to 10 venomous species. Of these, nine are rattlesnakes, and the other is the Sonoran coral snake. It has no copperheads.
New York: 1
Northern copperhead
Copperheads mostly live in the riverbank areas around the Hudson River. They rarely come into human areas.
North Carolina: 2
Copperheads are abundant in the state, and there are many reported sightings.
Southern copperheadNorthern copperhead
North Dakota: 0
The state does not have any members of this species.
Ohio: 1
Northern copperhead
Oklahoma: 4
Eastern copperheadOsage copperheadBroad-banded copperheadSouthern copperhead
Oregon: 0
Oregon has no copperheads.
Pennsylvania: 1
The northern copperhead lives in the lower part of the state. It prefers wooded areas, rock piles, and abandoned farm buildings.
Rhode Island: 0
There are no venomous snakes in Rhode Island.
South Carolina: 2
Southern copperheadNorthern copperhead
South Dakota: 0
There are no copperheads in the state.
Tennessee: 2
Southern copperheadNorthern copperhead
Texas: 3
Texas has a huge number of snake species, and 15 are venomous. Although most of these are rattlers, the state is also home to three copperhead species:
Broad-banded copperheadSouthern copperheadTrans-Pecos copperhead
Utah: 0
Although Utah has many snakes, none are copperheads.
Vermont: 0
The state’s only venomous snake, the timber rattler, is considered endangered. Wildlife officials ask people to report sightings of this rare snake.
Virginia: 1
The state is home to the northern copperhead. The snake is abundant in Virginia, but it prefers the wetlands areas in the southern part of the state.
Washington: 0
Washington has no copperheads.
West Virginia: 1
The northern copperhead is one of only two venomous species in the state. The other, the timber rattlesnake, is West Virginia’s official state reptile.
Wisconsin: 0
There are no copperheads in Wisconsin.
Wyoming: 0
The state has two venomous snake species, but it has no copperheads.
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There are several reasons for this. The first is that biologists have not closely tracked snake populations until recently. While many states have reported declines in specific species, there was no overall system to track the number of snakes in each state. This is true of most reptile species, who are considered “data deficient” in population studies.
The second reason is that snakes are extremely hard to find. They are nocturnal, secretive, and excellent at using camouflage. They are much harder to observe than other species, and attaching monitors to them is difficult.
Scientists are aware that snake populations are declining, however, and that is cause for concern. Snakes are integral to their ecosystems, and they are a primary means of controlling rodent populations. Developing ways to count their populations in the U.S. and elsewhere is critical to helping preserve these beautiful and often misunderstood animals.
What is the most common snake in the U.S.? It is probably the garter snake or grass snake. The most common venomous snakes are rattlesnakes and copperheads. Does the king cobra live in the U.S.? No, it does not. The king cobra is native to southeast Asia.
