The Copperhead

Copperheads – a masterpiece of nature

By Richard Boynton, Creatures and Critters

Some species are so breathtakingly stunning that often our desire to have, overrides common sense, and we forget to take cognisance of the dangers involved in our actions. I do not believe that it would be responsible to encourage the keeping of venomous snakes in the general population without laying down a few guidelines. We owe it to the trade and to our customers. I am not intending to persuade or dissuade any-one but rather to honestly set the scene as I see it.

There has been a gradual growth in the interest in venomous snakes over the past couple of years and I am often asked the question “I am interested in starting with venomous snakes and what would you recommend as a good starter snake?

This is an extremely difficult question to answer.

One needs to ask the question why a venomous snake? They are purely display animals and not for handling. If it is your intention to gain the attention of others by free handling them then you should probably reconsider owning a venomous snake. Every time you free-handle a venomous snake the odds shift in the favour of an accident taking place.

Given the variations in bite severity based on:

• the individuals personal physiological response (i.e. their sensitivity to venom)
• the mood of the snake
• the temperature at the time
• the health of biter as well as the bitten
• When last venom was expelled and how much.

Any given species’ bite might produce either a best or worse case scenario or anything in-between. If you ask someone who has experienced a very bad bite from what is normally considered a fairly low risk species you will of course receive a negative report. The converse of this is of course that someone claiming that “a bite from a ?????? is nothing I’ve been bitten several times and it is not that bad” may be leading you into having a false sense of security.

There are a large number of species however, that are generally considered non lethal and this is usually indicated by the fact that their native countries do not produce anti-venom for them, as they do not perceive it necessary. These are the venomous snakes that I would generally consider as suitable options for a private venomous snake collection. Just be warned that keeping any venomous snake is not without risk to yourselves and the people around you and you owe it to yourselves and the entire snake keeping world to be responsible. There are certain rules which if adhered to reduce the statistical chances of being bitten. Learn these rules and follow them. People who boast about what they have been bitten by clearly do not know or follow these rules, nor do they implement them successfully. Remember that apart from being painful, life threatening and debilitating snake-bites can be extremely expensive, so if nothing else consider the cost. A skilled snake handler can read their charges’ behaviour and thus reduce the chance of being bitten. People who show such skill gain a reputation of knowing their game. Strive to be one of these knowledgeable skilled people and earn the respect of those in the know.

The bottom line is that any specie that is either: very large, has particularly lethal venom, of which there is no anti-venom in the country or has a temperament which makes them prone to want to remove you from the snake keeping fraternity is not a good choice for captivity. Remember that snake parks and other institutions that carry anti-venom for any given species, do so for the benefit of their staff. It is not their responsibility to lend it to the public, and it is unreasonable to expect this of them. If one of their staff members requires the anti-venom before it is replaced it is they, who will be held liable. If you choose to keep potentially lethal animals then sorry to say but you are on your own. Apologies for seeming pessimistic but it is important to consider these things, as Thomas Fuller (1732) put it; “a danger foreseen is half avoided”.

That aside, copperheads are understandably sought after among snake enthusiasts as stated by Chris Mattison in Keeping and breeding Snakes 1988: “The copperhead is, in the opinion of many people, one of the most beautifully marked snakes in the world”.

As with most species covering a large geographic range their patterns and colour varies within a population as well as from area to area. They are however generally banded with various pastel shades of browns, coppers, oranges and pinks. The spacing and shapes of these bands depends on which subspecies they are. Recognized subspecies include:

• Southern – (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) hourglass shaped cross-bands, narrow across midline of back, two halves often fail to meet.
• Broad banded – (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus) dark cross-bands much wider than light interspaces, nearly as wide across midline of body as on sides.
• Northern – (Agkistrodon contortrix mokeson) dark hourglass-shaped cross-bands, wide portion on sides, narrow across midline of back, small dark spots between bands.
• Osage – (Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster) resembles northern, cross-bands darker, no spots between bands
• Trans-Pecos – (Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster) dark cross-bands like those of broad-banded with pale area at base of each band.

They are all exquisitely marked and worthwhile candidates for any venomous snake collection. A display with a bed of dried leaves shows off their disruptively camouflaged markings to perfection. Their scales are weakly keeled and one would have to look closely to see the ridge running down the length of each scale.

The copperhead is one of the Pit-viper Family, and occurs widely across the southern half of North America. The words pit-viper refer to the heat-sensitive pits used to locate warm blooded prey in the dark and which are situated on each side of the head between the eye and the nostril. They effectively give the snake an infra-red image of potential prey in the dark. This image allows them to strike accurately and so secure a meal. Being part of the viper family means that they are armed with long hinged fangs which are thrown forward during a strike allowing them to actually stab their prey, or attacker. The heat receptors in the pit vipers are so sensitive that they are able to sense temperature changes of as little as 0.003′C John. A. Burten 1991 Snakes an illustrated guide. Bear this in mind when moving any part of your body close to a copperhead, even when it is in the safety of a cloth bag.

The venom of copperheads is generally not considered particularly potent and Tony Phelps 1981 notes that “due to their habit of frequenting human habitation accidents are common but fatalities are almost unheard of”. An anti-venom is not made for this species as it is not necessary. On the other hand, having personally seen the effects of a copperhead bite and spoken to others who have been on the receiving end I can assure you that a bite can bring tears to a grown man’s eyes and is best avoided. The venom is cytotoxic and causes pain, swelling, necrosis blistering, discolouration and even more pain. Armed with heat receptors and a lighting fast strike it is not necessary to take risks with them. They are easy enough to handle with a hook-stick and should be conveniently moved to a temporary holding cage for routine cage maintenance. Dispite the fact that they are commonly referred to in literature as having pleasant dispositions or being referred to as having tractible natures, snakes cannot read, so why not take advantage of our more advanced brain power and follow the rules. If they require un-shed eye-caps or partially shed skin to be removed or if there is any other need for direct contact then ask someone with first hand experience and expertise. In my experience copperheads vehemently object to being restrained and thrash and twist violently in an effort to ensure immediate release. It is not safe to release them while they are in the throws of what can only be described as a fit of anger with intent, and it is safer to wait for them to relax first. If stressed or harassed they exude a particularly strong smell from their musk glands. Once this distinctive odour has been smelt it remains etched in ones memory and should be heeded as a warning.

Copperheads are not particularly big snakes reaching a maximum length of about one meter, usually smaller. Their small size along with the fact that they are not very active animals makes them suitable for fairly small cages. A sixty cm cage is more than satisfactory and can be arranged to be very basic or more elaborate for display depending on the wishes of the owner. A temperature gradient of 22-30′C, a water bowl and a hide  will suffise as basic requirements. In a well displayed exhibit their environment may be enriched with dried leaves, driftwood, plants (live or plastic) rock backings etc. A well displayed cage is a lot more maintenance but with such a beautiful animal the end result will liven up any room and will be well worth the effort.

In the wild baby copperheads will feed mainly on small lizards and frogs which they may lure closer by slowly waving their bright yellow tail tip. I have often seen this behaviour in captivity and this adds to their appeal. As they mature the tail tip darkens and the behaviour of caudal luring ceases. In captivity the babies usually accept pinkies without difficulty but some offspring may need to be started on lizards or scented pinks. Adult copperheads will eat just about anything and I often refer to them as dustbins, they are thus very easy captives. Most captives are conveniently fed rodents which they will accept defrosted almost without exception.

If you choose to breed your animals these livebearers can be very rewarding as they are easy to breed. Dropping their temperatures to about 15′C, in winter, for two to three months will stimulate a mating response in the months following spring warming. Although they seem to mate on and off throughout the year it appears that the important mating is in spring when fertilisation takes place. Sometimes fertilisation takes place with sperm stored from the previous autumn. Young are usually expected in late summer although I must admit it appears to be quite variable from set-up to set-up. I have had babies as early as Novenmber and as late as March. To witness perfect little replicas of the adults being born is a most fulfilling culmination to a fascinating hobby and a beautiful species.