Eastern copperhead

Copperheads rely on camouflage: when a person approaches, most stay motionless rather than flee or strike, which is why people step near them without noticing. They are ambush hunters, waiting for prey to pass, and young ones wiggle their yellow tail tips to lure frogs and lizards. Most bites happen when someone steps on or picks up a snake they did not see.

Copperheads eat many mice and voles and are prey for kingsnakes, hawks and owls. Their venom is being studied for compounds that affect blood clotting and cancer cells. Copperhead bites are rarely fatal to people, and the snake's first choice is always to stay hidden.

Young — Born live, usually 3 to 10, in late summer
Size at birth — About 20 to 25 cm, with yellow-tipped tails
Venom — Present from birth
Maturity — At about three years
Breeding — Females usually give birth every other year
Lifespan — Often 10 years or more

• Give a copperhead space and it will move on. Keep children and pets away while it does.
• Wear shoes outdoors at night in summer, and look before reaching into leaf litter, woodpiles or under boards.
• If someone is bitten, call 911 and get to a hospital. Keep the person calm and still; do not cut, suck, ice or tie off the bite.
• A pet that has been bitten needs a vet at once.
• If a copperhead must be moved from somewhere it cannot stay, keep everyone back and ask a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for advice rather than trying to handle it.

• Copperheads are aggressive. They freeze rather than strike, and bite when stepped on or grabbed.
• Killing snakes makes a yard safe. Most bites happen to people trying to kill or handle snakes.
• Baby copperheads are more dangerous than adults. They are no more dangerous; they simply have less venom and are easier to overlook.

• Northern cottonmouth
• Timber rattlesnake
• Common watersnake