Agkistrodon contortrix
240808
226051494
2008-07-16T16:43:19Z
Jwinius
141528
/* Geographic range */ Removed duplicate image. BTW, how do you know it's resting? Better to say nothing than to say something stupid.
{{Taxobox
| name = ''Agkistrodon contortrix''
| image = Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix CDC-a.png
| status = LC
| status_system = iucn3.1
| trend = stable
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| subphylum = [[Vertebrate|Vertebrata]]
| classis = [[Reptile|Reptilia]]
| ordo = [[Squamata]]
| subordo = [[Serpentes]]
| familia = [[Viperidae]]
| subfamilia = [[Crotalinae]]
| genus = ''[[Agkistrodon]]''
| species = '''''A. contortrix'''''
| binomial = ''Agkistrodon contortrix''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1766
| synonyms = * ''Boa contortrix'' - Linnaeus, 1766
* ''Scytale contortrix'' - Sonnini & Latreille, 1801
* ''Scytale Cupreus'' - Rafinesque, 1818
* ''Scytale cupreus'' - Say, 1819
* ''Tisiphone cuprea'' - Fitzinger, 1826
* [''Cenchris''] ''marmorata'' - F. Boie, 1827
* ''Acontias atro-fuscus'' - Troost, 1836
* [''Toxicophis atro-fuscus''] - Troost, 1836
* ''T''[''rigonocephalus'']. ''cenchris'' - Schlegel, 1837
* ''Trigonocephalus Contortrix'' - Holbrook, 1838
* ''Trigonocephalus atro-fuscus'' - Holbrook, 1842
* ''Cenchris contortrix'' - Gray, 1842
* ''Cenchris atrofuscus'' - Gray, 1849
* ''Agkistrodon contortrix'' - Baird & Girard, 1853
* ''T''[''rigonocephalus'']. ''histrionicus'' - A.M.C. Duméril, 1853
* ''Ancistrodon contortrix'' - Baird, 1854
* ''Agkistrodon contorting'' - Abbott, 1869
* ''Ancistrodon atrofuscus'' - Cope, 1875
* ''Agkistrodon atrofuscus'' - Yarrow, 1882
* [''Ancistrodon contortrix''] Var. atrofuscus'' - Garman, 1884
* ''Ancistrodon contortrix'' - Boulenger, 1896
* ''Agkistrodon contortirix'' - Keim, 1914
* ''Agkistrodon mokasen cupreus'' - Gloyd & Conant, 1938
* ''Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix'' - Klauber, 1948
* ''Ancistrodon contortrix contortrix'' - Schmidt, 1953<ref name="McD99">McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).</ref>
}}
:'''''Common names''': copperhead (snake), chunk head, death adder, (dry-land) moccasin,<ref name="W&W57">Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes. Comstock Publishing Associates. (7th printing, 1985). 1105 pp. ISBN 0801404630 .</ref> [[Agkistrodon contortrix#Common names|more]].''
'''''Agkistrodon contortrix''''' is a [[venomous snake|venomous]] [[Crotalinae|pitviper]] [[species]] found in [[North America]]. Five [[subspecies]] are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.<ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS|ID=174296|taxon=''Agkistrodon contortrix''|year=2006|date=28 November}}</ref>
==Description==
[[Image:American-Copperhead.jpeg|left|thumb|200px|''A. c. contortrix'']]
Adult specimens have a [[Copper (color)|coppery]] colored head and neck. They are moderately sized snakes, with adults normally reaching 0.8–1.2 meters (2–4 feet), with thick, heavy bodies, although the body is more slender than most other [[Crotalinae|pit viper]]s.
There are five clearly defined [[subspecies]], all of which have distinctive light and dark brown or greenish banding: ''[[Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen|A. c. mokasen]]'', ''A. c. contortrix'' and ''[[Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster|A. c. phaeogaster]]'' have bands that tend to narrow dorsally, giving them an [[hourglass shape]], whereas ''[[Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus|A. c. laticinctus]]'' and ''[[Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster|A. c. pictigaster]]'' generally have bands of uniform width.
The patterned underside of ''[[Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster|A. c. pictigaster]]'', with its white and black banding, is especially distinctive. [[Hybrid (biology)|Intergrading]] occurs in areas where the geographic ranges of the subspecies overlap, and so pattern variations are commonplace.
==Common names==
Copperhead (snake), chunk head, death adder, highland moccasin, (dry-land) moccasin, narrow-banded copperhead, northern copperhead, pilot snake, poplar leaf, red oak, red snake, southeastern copperhead, white oak snake,<ref name="W&W57"/> American copperhead,<ref name="USN91">U.S. Navy. 1991. Poisonous Snakes of the World. US Govt. New York: Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. ISBN 0-486-26629-X.</ref> southern copperhead,<ref name="G&C90">Gloyd HK, Conant R. 1990. Snakes of the Agkistrodon Complex: A Monographic Review. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 614 pp. 52 plates. LCCN 89-50342. ISBN 0-916984-20-6.</ref> cantil cobrizo ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]).<ref name="ITIS"/>
==Geographic range==
Found in the [[United States]] in the states of [[Texas]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], [[Arkansas]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mississippi]], [[Alabama]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Florida]], [[South Carolina]], [[North Carolina]], [[Tennessee]], [[Kentucky]], [[Virginia]], [[West Virginia]], [[Illinois]], [[Indiana]], [[Ohio]], [[Iowa]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Maryland]], [[New Jersey]], [[Delaware]], [[New York]], [[Connecticut]] and [[Massachusetts]]. In [[Mexico]] it occurs in [[Chihuahua]] and [[Coahuila]]. The [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]] is "Carolina." Schmidt (1953) proposed that the type locality be restricted to "Charleston, South Carolina."<ref name="McD99"/>
==Habitat==
Within its range it occupies a variety of different habitats. In most of [[North America]] it favors [[Deciduous|deciduous forest]] and mixed woodlands. They are often associated with rock outcroppings and ledges, but are also found in low-lying swampy regions. In the states around the [[Gulf of Mexico]], however, it is also found in [[coniferous forest]]. In the [[Chihuahuan Desert]] of west [[Texas]] and northern [[Mexico]], it occurs in [[Riparian zone|riparian habitats]], usually near permanent or semipermanent water and sometimes in dry [[Arroyo (creek)|arroyos]].<ref name="C&L04">Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.</ref>
==Conservation status==
This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the [[World Conservation Union|IUCN]] [[IUCN Red List|Red List of Threatened Species]] (v3.1, 2001).<ref name="ICUN">{{Redlist species|no=64297|genus=Agkistrodon|species=contortrix|date=13 September|year=2007}}</ref> Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend is stable. Year assessed: 2007.<ref name="ICUN-31">{{Redlist CC2001|date=13 September|year=2007}}</ref>
==Behavior==
[[Image:CopperheadInLeavesCU.JPG|thumb|250px|left|Southern Copperhead, ''A. c. contortrix'', at the southern limit of its range, in Liberty Co., Florida, camouflaged in dead leaves.]]
Like all [[Crotalinae|pit vipers]], ''A. contortrix'' is an ambush predator: it takes up a promising position and waits for suitable prey to arrive. In the southern [[United States]], they are nocturnal during the hot summer months, but are commonly active during the day during the spring and fall.
Like most North American viperids, these snakes prefer to avoid humans and, given the opportunity, will leave the area without biting. However, unlike other viperids they will often "freeze" instead of slithering away, and as a result many bites occur from people unknowingly stepping on or near them. This tendency to freeze likely evolved because of the extreme effectiveness of their camouflage. When lying on dead leaves or red clay they can be almost impossible to notice. They will frequently stay still even when approached closely, and will generally strike only if physical contact is made.
==Feeding==
Roughly 90% of its diet consists of small rodents, such as mice and voles. They have also shown fondness for large insects and frogs, and though highly [[terrestrial animal|terrestrial]], have been known to climb trees to gorge on emerging [[cicadas]].
==Reproduction==
''A. contortrix'' breeds in late summer, but not every year: sometimes a female will produce young for several years running, then not breed at all for a time. They give birth to live young about 20 cm long: a typical litter is 4 to 7, but it can be as few as one or as many as 20. Their size apart, the young are similar to the adults, but lighter in color, and with a yellow-marked tip to the tail, which is used to lure lizards and frogs.
==Venom==
Although venomous, these snakes are generally non-aggressive and bites are almost never fatal. Copperhead venom has an estimated lethal dose of around 100mg, and tests on mice show its potency is among the lowest of all [[pit vipers]], though slightly stronger than that of its close relative, the [[Agkistrodon piscivorus|cottonmouth]]. The bite of a cottonmouth is more serious, however, as they have a much larger venom yield than a copperhead. Copperheads often employ a "warning bite" when stepped on or agitated and inject a relatively small amount of venom, if any at all. "Dry bites" involving no venom are particularly common with the copperhead, though all [[pit vipers]] are capable of a dry bite.
Bite symptoms include intense pain, tingling, throbbing, swelling, and severe nausea. Damage can occur to muscle and bone tissue, especially when the bite occurs in the outer extremities such as the hands and feet, areas in which there is not a large muscle mass to absorb the venom. A bite from any venomous snake should be taken very seriously and immediate medical attention sought, as allergic reaction and secondary infection are always possible.
Although technically the [[antivenin]] [[CroFab]] could be used to treat an envenomation, it is usually not administered for copperheads, as the risk of complications of an allergic reaction to the treatment are greater than the risk from the snakebite itself in most cases. The very few reported deaths from copperhead bites all involved multiple snakes. [[Pain management]], antibiotics, and medical supervision in the case of complications is usually the course of action.<sup>[http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic539.htm]</sup>
==Subspecies==
{|cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;"
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Subspecies<ref name="ITIS"/>
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Authority<ref name="ITIS"/>
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Common name<ref name="G&C90"/>
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Geographic range<ref name="G&C90"/>
|-
|''A. c. contortrix''
|([[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1766)
|Southern copperhead
|style="width:40%"|The [[United States]], in the lower [[Mississippi Valley]] and the states bordering the [[Gulf of Mexico]], from eastern [[Texas]] and southeastern [[Oklahoma]] to southern [[Illinois]]. On the South Atlantic Coastal Plain from the [[Florida]] panhandle to [[South Carolina]].
|-
|''[[Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus|A. c. laticinctus]]''
|[[Howard Gloyd|Gloyd]] & [[Roger Conant (herpetologist)|Conant]], 1934
|Broad-banded copperhead
|The United States, from south-central Texas ([[Victoria County, Texas|Victoria]] to [[Frio County, Texas|Frio]] counties), north through central Oklahoma to the extreme south of [[Cowley County, Kansas]].
|-
|''[[Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen|A. c. mokasen]]''
|[[Palisot de Beauvois]], 1799
|Northern copperhead
|The United States, in southern Illinois, extreme northeastern Mississippi, northern [[Alabama]], northern [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] northeast to [[Massachusetts]], the [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian Mountain region]] and associates plateaus.
|-
|''[[Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster|A. c. phaeogaster]]''
|Gloyd, 1969
|Osage copperhead
|The United States, in eastern [[Kansas]], extreme southeastern [[Nebraska]] and a large part of [[Missouri]].
|-
|''[[Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster|A. c. pictigaster]]''
|Gloyd & Conant, 1943
|Trans-pecos copperhead
|The United States, in western Texas from the vicinity of the [[Pecos River|Pecos]] and [[Devils River (Texas)|Devils]] rivers to the counties of [[Jeff Davis County, Texas|Jeff Davis]] and [[Presidio County, Texas|Presidio]]. [[Mexico]], in northern [[Chihuahua]] and [[Coahuila]].
|-
|}
==See also==
* [[List of crotaline species and subspecies]]
* {{c|Crotalinae by common name}}
* {{c|Crotalinae by taxonomic synonyms}}
* [[Snakebite]]
==Gallery==
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{| class="prettytable" style="padding-left: 0.0em; margin-left: 0.0em; margin-right: 0.0em;"
|-
! Habitats !! Isolated !! Closeups
|- <!--table widths default to wider than page (wikiduh)-->
|<!--Column1-->"width:198px"|[[Image:Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus.jpg|195px]]
|<!--Column2-->"width:175px"|[[Image:Southern_copperhead.jpg|170px]]
|<!--Column3--> [[Image:A03 2618 640x427.JPG|155px]]
|-
|<!--Column1-->Broad-banded copperhead
|<!--Column2-->Southern Copperhead
|<!--Column3-->[[Saint Louis Zoological Park|St. Louis Zoo]]
|-
|<!--Col1-->[[Image:vbcoperriver.jpg|195px]]
|<!--Col2-->[[Image:AmericanCopperhead.jpg|170px]]
|<!--Col3--> [[Image:Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen CDC.png|150px]]
|-
|<!--Col1-->Copperhead crossing river in<br/>[[Virginia Beach]]
|<!--Col2-->Southern Copperhead in<br/>[[Covington, Georgia]], at Bert<br/>Adams Scout Reservation
|<!--Col3-->Northern copperhead<br/>
|-
|<!--Col1-->[[Image:Southern_copperhead01.jpg|195px]]
|<!--Col2--> [[Image:Southern_copperhead02.jpg|100px]]
|<!--Col3--> [[Image:Southern_copperhead03.jpg|155px]]
|-
|<!--Col1-->Southern copperhead, near<br/>a [[cicada]] (in Arkansas)
|<!--Col2-->Southern copperhead<br/>consuming cicada (Arkansas)
|<!--Col3-->Southern copperhead close<br/>up (in [[Arkansas]])
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons|Agkistrodon contortrix}}
* {{NRDB species|genus=Agkistrodon|species=contortrix|date=9 August|year=2007}}
* [http://pages.cthome.net/rwinkler/copperhead.htm Reclining With Vipers] at [http://pages.cthome.net/rwinkler/ Robert Winkler's homepage]. Accessed [[15 June]] [[2007]].
* [http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=45&Itemid=26 Copperhead - ''Agkistrodon contortrix''] at [http://www.herpnet.net/ Herpnet.net], Reptiles and Amphibians of Iowa. Accessed [[15 June]] [[2007]].
* [http://www.gherp.com/gallery/new/Copperhead.jpg ''A. c. contortrix'' image] at [http://www.gherp.com/ Glades Herp]. Accessed [[9 August]] [[2007]].
[[Category:Crotalinae]]
[[Category:Reptiles of the United States]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Southeastern United States]]
[[de:Nordamerikanischer Kupferkopf]]
[[fr:Agkistrodon contortrix]]
[[it:Agkistrodon contortrix]]
[[lt:Variagalvis skydasnukis]]
[[nl:Moccasinslang]]