Southern Copperhead (May 16, 2007)

Conroe, Texas

Southern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) Highly venomous, Capable of striking at objects within half the length of its body, though the normal strike is no more than 10-12 inches even for mature specimens.  BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS, DO NOT APPROACH THIS SNAKE; DECAPITATED SPECIMENS REMAIN CAPABLE OF INFLICTING DEADLY BITES.

Don A. Wrote: We came home this evening to find what I am 90% sure is a copperhead in our backyard. Our dog had it cornered and I took some time to prod it with a hoe before dispatching it (we have 3 kids who play in the area). We live just south of Conroe off of Creighton Road.

I did find it interesting that the snake was vigorously shaking its tail, while it was being prodded. It had slit eyes and a diamond shaped head. Its fangs were visible as it repeatedly struck at the hoe.

We couldn't locate our digital camera but we did get a photo of it with a cell-phone camera right before I killed it. The picture quality isn't super but it does show the distinct coloration.

Hopefully I'm correct about my assumption that the snake was venomous. Regards, Don A.

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Yes, Don was correct. Any time you see a snake striking at something with its fangs showing you can be certain that snake is venomous. But Don was lucky. Most of the time the copperheads are not aggressive the way this one was. Of course, having to vend off a dog for a time helped raise its anxiety level and led to a fierce display that would not otherwise have been seen.

The southern copperhead is a pale-colored race within the contortrix species, and is distinguished from the two other races found in Texas (the broad banded copperhead, A. contortrix laticinctus, and the Trans-Pecos copperhead, A. contortrix pictigaster) by the hour-glass-shape of its dark-edged crossbands.  The species name, contortrix, signifies that its markings are pinched, so this race is the archetype for the species, but the markings of the other two races are not pinched (i.e., having the appearance of being compressed) at the spine as this one's are.  The snake preys on small vertebrates, a few invertebrates, and birds.

This specimen is about 18 inches long, and had been cornered by Don's dog in his back yard.  Don noted that it struck at the hoe he used to move the snake, and that its fangs were visible on each strike.  The tail is a dark color, and pointed; note that juveniles of all snakes in the genus Agkistrodon have sulfur-yellow tails, so this specimen, though still immature, is beyond the juvenile stage.  The photo below was sent in later by Don, and shows the markings better.  The small elongated objects scattered on the body are fire ants.

Many thanks to Don A., the photographer, for sending the photos and a report on this snake's discovery in his back yard.

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