copperhead, poisonous
snake, Ancistrodon contortrix, of the E United States. Like its close relative, the water moccasin, the copperhead
is a member of the pit viper family and detects its warm-blooded prey by means of a heat-sensitive organ behind the nostril.
The body, which may reach a length of 4 ft (120 cm), is hazel brown with chestnut-colored crossbands above and pinkish white
with dark spots below. The head is a pale copper color. Copperheads inhabit rocky areas with thick underbrush, even in heavily
populated regions. They feed chiefly on small mammals, but will also capture large insects, frogs, and other snakes. They
are most active in late afternoon and early evening. The young are born alive. Copperheads are not aggressive and usually
attempt escape when threatened, but they strike swiftly if startled or attacked. The bite causes severe pain and illness in
humans but is seldom fatal. Copperheads are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order
Squamata, family Crotalidae.
Rattlesnakes
rattlesnake, poisonous New
World snake of the pit viper family, distinguished by a rattle at the end of the tail. The head is triangular, being widened
at the base. The rattle is a series of dried, hollow segments of skin, which, when shaken, make a whirring sound. When the
snake is alarmed, it shakes its tail, and the noise serves as a warning to the attacker. While the snake is young, three or
four segments are usually added each year, one at each molt. After maturity fewer develop and old ones start to break off.
Rattlesnakes feed on rodents, birds, and other warm-blooded animals. Like other pit vipers, they have heat-sensitive organs
in pits on the sides of the head, which help them locate and strike at their prey. The erectile fangs are folded back in the
mouth, except when the snake strikes. The venom is highly toxic to humans and occasionally proves fatal.. Rattlesnakes bear
live young. Most species are classified in the genus Crotalus. The timber rattlesnake, C. horridus, is found
from S Maine to NE Florida and W to Iowa and Texas. It is from 3 1/2 to 5 ft (105–150 cm) long and is yellow or tan
with wide, dark crossbands. The largest and deadliest species is the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, C. adamanteus,
of the S and SE United States, which reaches a length of 5 to 8 ft (1.5–2.4 m). The western diamondback, C. atrox,
is shorter and thicker. The western, or prairie, rattlesnake, C. viridis, sometimes lives in prairie-dog burrows.
The sidewinder, C. cerastes, is a North American desert species. The approximately 30 Crotalus species range
from S Canada to N Argentina. The genus Sistrurus comprises the three pygmy rattlesnake species of the United States
and Mexico. The smallest, S. miliarius, of the SE United States, is under 18 in. (45 cm) long. Rattlesnakes are classified
in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, family Crotalidae.
All About Snakes
Heres a few tips for identification of snakes, that, you
may run into in the Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana area. Summer is here, and theres an abundance of
snakes ...., like this 4 ft 6 inch Timber rattler that almost bit me..... So keep alert when your out in the woods or
in the city. Kimberley Lance
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Water Moccasin
water moccasin
or cottonmouth,highly venomous snake, Ancistrodon piscivorus, of the swamps and bayous
of the S United States. Like the closely related copperhead, it is a pit viper and has a heat-sensitive organ for detecting
warm-blooded prey. The young are born live. The young snake is a pale reddish brown with transverse dark brown bands edged
with white; as it ages the colors dull to a blotched olive or brown and then to an unmarked olive or blackish in old specimens.
The maximum length is 6 ft (2 m), the average from 3 to 4 ft (90–120 cm). A good climber, the water moccasin often relaxes
on branches overhanging the water. If startled it erects its head and shows the white interior of its mouth—hence the
name cottonmouth. It eats both warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals. It is aggressive in the wild state but may become quite
tame in captivity. It is classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, family Crotalidae.
Coral Snake
coral snake, name for poisonous New World
snakes of the same family as the Old World cobras. About 30 species inhabit Mexico, Central America, and N South America;
two are found in the United States. The Eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius), or harlequin snake, is found in the
SE United States and N Mexico. It is a burrowing snake with a small, blunt head and a cylindrical body, averaging 2 1/2 ft
(75 cm) in length. The body is ringed with bands of black, red, and yellow; the tail has yellow and black rings only. The
Sonoran, or Western, coral snake (Micruroides euryxanthus) is a rather rare species found in the SW United States
and NW Mexico. It is about 18 in. (45 cm) long and has much broader bands of yellow than those of the Eastern species. Coral
snakes can be distinguished from a number of similarly colored harmless snakes by the fact that they are the only ones with
red bands touching yellow ones. The venom of coral snakes, like that of cobras, acts on the nervous system and causes paralysis;
the mortality rate among humans who are bitten is high. However, coral snakes are infrequently encountered because of their
burrowing habits, and they seldom bite unless handled. They feed on other snakes and on lizards. Coral snakes are classified
in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, family Elapidae.
