Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen facts for kids

The Northern Copperhead (scientific name: Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen) is a type of venomous snake called a pit viper. You can find it in the eastern parts of the United States.

Quick facts for kids Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Agkistrodon
Species:	A. contortrix
Subspecies:	A. c. mokasen
Trinomial name
Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen Palisot de Beauvois, 1799
Synonyms
Agkistrodon mokason Palisot de Beauvois, 1799 Agkishodon mokasen Palisot de Beauvois, 1799 Cenchris mokeson Daudin, 1803 Scytale mockeson Say, 1819 Agkistrodon mokasen – Beyer, 1898 Ancistrodon mokasen – , 1908 Agkistrodon mokasen mokasen – Gloyd & Conant, 1934 Agkistrodon mokeson mokeson – Gloyd & Conant, 1943 Agkistrodon mokeson – Davis & Brimley, 1944 Agkistrodon contortrix mokeson – Klauber, 1948 Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen – Klimstra, 1950 Ancistrodon contortrix mokeson – Schmidt, 1953 Agkistrodon contortrix makasen Bonn & McCarley, 1953 Ancistrodon contortrix mokasen – Petersen, 1970 Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen – Harding & Welch, 1980

About the Northern Copperhead

Northern Copperheads usually grow to be about 61 to 91 centimeters (2 to 3 feet) long. The longest ones can reach up to 135 centimeters (about 4.5 feet).

What They Look Like

These snakes have a special pattern that looks like an hourglass. This pattern runs all along their body. If you look from above, you'll see dark chestnut-colored bands. These bands are narrow in the middle and wider on the sides.

Between these main bands, you might see small, dark spots. The sides of their belly often have dark, round spots. Their head is a distinctive copper-red color.

Younger copperheads are lighter in color than adults. They also have a yellow tip on their tail. A thin dark line goes through their eye, separating the darker head from the lighter scales around their mouth.

Where They Live

You can find the Northern Copperhead in many parts of the eastern United States. This includes places like Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and parts of Illinois and Indiana. They also live throughout Mississippi, northern Alabama, and northern Georgia.

Their range extends northeast to Massachusetts, where they are considered an endangered species. They are also found in the Hudson Valley region of New York and the Appalachian Mountain region, including southwestern Pennsylvania.

How They Behave

Northern Copperheads are usually calm and quiet snakes. They often prefer to stay still or slowly move away if they see someone. However, if they feel very threatened or bothered, they can strike quickly. They might also vibrate their tails very fast, like a rattlesnake, even though they don't have a rattle.

Other Names for This Snake

People call the Northern Copperhead by many different names, such as:

• Copperhead
• Highland Moccasin
• Beech-leaf Snake
• Chunk Head
• Copper (Adder)
• Copper-bell
• Copper Belly
• Copperhead Moccasin
• Copperhead Viper
• Copper Snake
• Copper Viper
• Deaf Adder
• Deaf Snake
• Harlequin Snake
• Hazel Head
• North American Copperhead Snake
• Pilot
• Poplar Leaf
• Rattlesnake Pilot
• Rattlesnake's Mate
• Red Adder
• Red Eye
• Red Snake
• Red Viper
• Thunder Snake
• Upland Moccasin
• White Oak Snake
• Adder