Copperhead is a venomous American snake. It is a kind of snake known as a pit viper (see Viper). The copperhead’s body has broad chestnut-reddish bands. Most copperheads are about 21/2 feet (76 centimeters) long. The largest grow to about 41/2 feet (1.3 meters).
Copperheads bite people fairly often. They are silent and often small, and people may not notice them quickly enough to avoid being bitten. The bite injects venom (poison). Copperhead venom seldom kills adults, but it can seriously harm small children.
The copperhead usually eats rodents and other small mammals, as well as birds, frogs, insects, lizards, and snakes. The copperhead’s venom kills its prey, which is swallowed whole. The snake gives live birth to three to seven young in August or September.
The copperhead lives in an area from Massachusetts to northern Mexico. In this area, any snake is likely to be called a copperhead if its markings resemble one. But the copperhead can be told from nonvenomous snakes by the presence of a pit in front of each eye. It is because of these pits that the copperhead is classified as a pit viper.
