What is Copperhead?

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Reptilia
• Order: Squamata
• Suborder: Serpentes
• Family: Viperidae
• Genus: Agkistrodon
• Species: A. contortrix
• Scientific Name: Agkistrodon contortrix

Copperhead is a pit viper endemic to Eastern North America. Copperhead has very unique pattern on its body: triangular but some dots in there and it has very distinct banding that runs down the length of the body. Under its belly, slight checkered patten and the design on the dorsal scale pattern.

People oftentimes confuse non-venomous snakes species with copperheads. It is a pit viper , not a rattlesnake. However like rattlesnake, it will sometimes wiggle the tip of tail against leaf litter, alerting any potential predator, or even a human. 

Copperheads are very active hunters and very fast-striking pit vipers at night especially during the summer and late autumn, because as pit vipers, they do have heat-sensitive pits between their nose and eye, so they can se any warm-blooded animals around them, which makes them extremely effective predators of small mammals like rats.

Copperhead is so perfectly camouflaged and good at hiding undercover during the day. Moreover, it is really good at making a home or habitat in suburban habitat, so these pit viper is usually found in neighborhoods. That's what causes people to get bitten. 

Copperheads will bite when they feel threatened as the last resort. In fact, they don't want to use their venom if they don't have to, because venom takes time to replenish. Copperhead does have a rather negative reputation. They are the snake that bites the most people per year. But it doesn't mean that these pit vipers are more aggressive than other venomous snakes. And as long as you don't try to interact with this snake in the environment,  all it wants to do is to stay completely hidden from humans.