Copperheads: The Most Misunderstood Snake in America

I waited till January to write this article because the Copperhead is in hibernation. Like many Americans that love the outdoors, I don't particularly like snakes. Although I am a city boy, my family roots go into central and southern Missouri. Growing up, my family put the fear of the snake bite into my mind. I was constantly reminded about the venom of the Water Moccasin and the Copperhead.

I recently attended an Outdoor Fishing Show. There was a booth set up that had several people that explained about the encounters between man and snake. I thought that I would share some of the information that I received during their lecture.

There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about the Copperhead. The first is actually identifying a Copperhead. Many times other snakes are mistaken as Copperheads. A Copperhead is pinkish tan with distinct dark brown markings on their backs that are shaped like a bow tie or hour glass. The Southern Copperhead has more tan than pink. The Osage Copperhead usually has a light tan or white border around the dark markings against their pinkish tan back round. Copperheads may reach a length of up to 43 inches. However, most are between 24 and 36 inches long. The Copperhead got it's name from the color it displays from the Appalachian Mountain States. The Northern Copperhead of that area actually had a copper type of color on its head.

One of the myths is that when a Copperhead is nearby it smells like a cucumber. This is both true and false. When a Copperhead is provoked their body secretes an oder that does smell like cucumbers. However, a Copperhead at rest doesn't.

Another myth is that Copperheads travel in pairs. Not true. They compete for food and sleeping space with other Copperheads.

Baby Copperheads are more dangerous than adults. This myth is false also. Babies have smaller venom glands and tiny fangs.

A Copperhead can swallow anything that is three times larger than their head. This is true. A Copperheads upper jaw is movable to accept large quantities of food.

Black snakes breed with Copperheads to make a venomous black snake. This myth has no biological basis. So this myth is not true.