Copperheads are a type of venomous snake found across eastern North America. Accurately identifying baby copperheads is important because they closely resemble adults in appearance and can be mistaken for harmless snake species. Understanding their specific features helps in distinguishing them from other snakes, ensuring safety and appropriate action if encountered.
Distinctive Visual Characteristics
Baby copperheads have distinct markings and physical traits. Their bodies feature a coppery-brown or reddish-brown background, overlaid with distinct darker crossbands. These crossbands are hourglass-shaped, resembling “Hershey’s Kisses” with wider sides and a narrower constriction along the spine. This pattern provides effective camouflage within leaf litter and wooded environments.
The head of a baby copperhead, like an adult’s, is triangular and distinct from its neck, though less pronounced in juveniles. They also have vertical, slit-like pupils, similar to a cat’s eye. A unique identifying feature of young copperheads is their bright yellow or greenish-yellow tail tip. This brightly colored tail is used for caudal luring, a behavior where the snake wiggles it to attract small prey like lizards and frogs.
Newborn copperheads are small, measuring between 7 to 10 inches. Despite their small size, they are born with fully functional venom glands and fangs, making them venomous from birth. The bright tail coloration fades as the snake matures, by 3 or 4 years of age.
Differences from Similar Snakes
Many non-venomous snakes are mistaken for baby copperheads due to similar coloration or patterns. The Eastern Milksnake has blotches widest across its back, unlike the copperhead’s hourglass bands, which are widest on the sides. Milksnakes also lack the yellow tail tip seen in juvenile copperheads and have a more oval head shape without the pronounced triangular form. Their scales are smoother and appear more glossy than a copperhead’s.
The Northern Watersnake can also be confused with a copperhead, but its body pattern consists of irregular blotches that are narrow on the sides and wide near the backbone, the opposite of a copperhead’s pattern. Watersnakes also have a less distinct head from their body and lack the bright yellow tail. They are found in or near water, a habitat less common for copperheads.
Corn Snakes, another common look-alike, have distinct blotches that are reddish or orange, and their head is more slender and aligned with their body. Unlike copperheads, corn snakes do not have the hourglass pattern and lack the yellow-tipped tail. Their bellies display a black-and-white checkerboard pattern, absent in copperheads.
Hognose Snakes are distinguishable by their upturned, shovel-like snout, which they use for digging. Their defensive behaviors, such as flattening their head and neck or playing dead, are unique and differ from a copperhead’s response to threats. While their body coloration can vary, their snout shape is a distinguishing feature.