Though not as venomous as other species, the copperhead snake causes the majority of snake-bites in the US. The copperhead can be recognized by its stubby shape and the clear distinction between the neck and the rest of the body although the cross bands that make up the overall pattern make classification possible too. [I:http://redwoodreptiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/OwenJones1.jpg]
Copperhead snakes have pale bellies, which makes it look very similar to its background, but their colourisation also be whitish sometimes. There are obvious spots or pits on the heads of these animals that appear like tiny dark specks. There is also a rather vague stripe on its head behind its eyes; less prominent on the top, the stripe gets a lot darker towards the sides of the snake's head.
Copperheads live in a wide variety of habitats. They can be found under rocks, in woods and on river banks or in pond areas. Their choice of abode is dictated by the presence of prey, as they like to live on frogs, small rodents, cicadas, lizards, caterpillars and anything else that is no match for their size.
Among the best hide-outs for the copperhead, wood piles, stone slabs, walls, debris and abandoned or ruined buildings are the most common, which explains the possibility of a human encounter with them in such areas. These snakes are most active in the spring and summer months and as long as the weather stays warm, after which they enter the hibernation period.
Copperhead snakes return to the same dens to hibernate year after year, and more often than not, there are large nests counting many individuals during hibernation. On very hot summer days, copperhead snakes will remain in cooler areas during the day and use the cover of the night to hunt. On balmy summer days, the copperhead will lie in the sun on rocks or wooden debris. Copperheads do not hatch eggs, but give birth to their young live. The number of young ranges from one to fourteen and they are usually born from the summer untill October.
Immediate medical assistance is absolutely necessary in the case of bites by copperhead snakes since there is the risk of permanent scarring accompanied by really unbearable pain. The best advice you can get when encountering copperhead snakes is to avoid them, because many people get bitten when they threaten the snakes when roaming or hunting.
Snakes will not harm you unless they sense danger, when you will see how fiercely they can defend themselves. Statistics indicate that these snakes are the most frequent life threateners in the US, because these Copperhead attack quite out of the blue without sending any warning signals like other species do.
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