Broad-Banded Copperhead

Range

The Broad-banded Copperhead is located mainly in the southern region of the United States of America. It spreads from Central Texas to the southern border of Kansas and Oklahoma.

Habitats

It is often seen around upland wood areas with sandy soil. It uses a good amount of ground debris for cover, always not far from a water source. It dwells in other micro habitat like rotten log of wood, pile of leaves, legends, rocky bluffs and others. It is an ambush predator. While the adults feed on rodents, birds, frogs and the likes, their young feed on insects like cicadas. They are ovoviviparous, birthing up to 8 offsprings in the early fall.

Identification

The Broad-branded copperhead is a species with light tan skin colour and a broad reddish-brown or copper bands. These bands range from 10 to 17. A full grown adult has a length varying between 20 and 30 inches. It has a large head which contains large venom glands just before the neck, with hinged fangs which comes out during attack or defence. Its coloration and size exists in the same form but the young have paler skin pigmentation.

Learn more with Schechter Natural History's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians