Eastern copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix (Linnaeus, 1766)
The eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) is a snake in the family Viperidae and subfamily Crotalinae, also called the Copperhead, Northern copperhead or Southern copperhead. It is a small snake by body mass, with a representative adult body mass of 950 g.
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Quick facts about the eastern copperhead
Its lifespan is given as 25.65 years, with values up to 29.8 years reported, and it reaches sexual maturity at 2 to 2.5 years. The IUCN Red List assesses the eastern copperhead as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
- Weight
- 950 gsrc for Weight
- Length
- 50 cm – 95 cmsrc for Length
- Lifespan
- 25.7 years – 29.8 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- forest, woodlandsrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- 5.65src for Young per litter or clutch
- Age at maturity
- 2 years – 2.5 yearssrc for Age at maturity
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
How big is the eastern copperhead?
Photos of the eastern copperhead
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the eastern copperhead live?
Not recorded
What is the eastern copperhead?
The eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix), also known simply as the copperhead, is a widespread species of venomous snake, a pit viper, endemic to eastern United States of America; it is a member of the subfamily Crotalinae in the family Viperidae.
The eastern copperhead has distinctive, dark brown, hourglass-shaped markings, overlaid on a light reddish brown or brown/gray background. The body type is heavy, rather than slender. Neonates are born with green or yellow tail tips, which progress to a darker brown or black within one year. Adults grow to a typical length (including tail) of 50–95 cm (20–37 in).
In most of the United States of America, the eastern copperhead favors deciduous forest and mixed woodlands. It may occupy rock outcroppings and ledges, but is also found in low-lying, swampy regions. During the winter, it hibernates in dens or limestone crevices, often together with timber rattlesnakes and black rat snakes. The eastern copperhead is known to feed on a wide variety of prey, including invertebrates (primarily arthropods) and vertebrates. Like most pit vipers, the eastern copperhead is generally an ambush predator; it takes up a promising position and waits for suitable prey to arrive.
As a common species within its range, it may be encountered by humans. Unlike other viperids, it often "freezes" instead of slithering away and fleeing, due to its habit of relying on excellent camouflage. Bites occur due to people unknowingly stepping on or near them. Copperhead bites account for half of the treated snake bites in the United States.
Five subspecies have been recognized in the past, but recent genetic analysis has yielded new species information.
From the Wikipedia article “Eastern copperhead” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eastern_copperhead&oldid=1365325425), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the eastern copperhead endangered?
The eastern copperhead is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the eastern copperhead classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classReptilia
- orderSquamata
- familyViperidae
- genusAgkistrodon
- SpeciesAgkistrodon contortrix (Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms Agkistrodon contortrix phaeogaster, Agkistrodon mokasen, Agkistrodon mokason, Boa contortix, Boa contortrix, Cenchris mokeson
Other names and names in other languages (29)
- CopperheadEnglish
- CopperheadEnglish
- Northern copperheadEnglish
- Southern copperheadEnglish
- niibe'ee'eit siisiiyeiArapaho
- ᏬᏗᎨᎠᏍᎪᎵCherokee
- ploskolebec americkýCzech
- KobberhovedDanish
- KupferkopfGerman
- Nordamerikanischer KupferkopfGerman
- Nördlicher KupferkopfGerman
- Südlicher KupferkopfGerman
- Cantil cobrizoSpanish
- Cabeza de cobreSpanish
- Serpent cuivréFrench
- Mocassin à tête cuivréeFrench
- rezesfejű mokaszinkígyóHungarian
- Testa di rameItalian
- カパーヘッドJapanese
- アメリカマムシJapanese
- MoccasinslangDutch
- mokasyn miedziogłowiecPolish
- Víbora-cabeça-de-cobre-do-sulPortuguese
- Медноголовый щитомордникRussian
- Мокассиновый щитомордникRussian
- Bakır kafalıTurkish
- Osage Copperheadroot
- Northern Copperheadroot
- 銅頭蝮Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistITISWikidataIUCN Red List
Relatives of the eastern copperhead
Other species in the same genus Agkistrodon.
Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Cantil
Agkistrodon bilineatus
Taylor's Cantil
Agkistrodon taylori
Cantil
Agkistrodon russeolus
Gloyd's Cantil
Agkistrodon howardgloydi
Broad-banded copperhead
Agkistrodon laticinctus
CompareEastern copperhead vs CottonmouthEastern copperhead vs CantilEastern copperhead vs Taylor's CantilEastern copperhead vs Cantil
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the eastern copperhead?
The eastern copperhead is a snake, a reptile in the family Viperidae and subfamily Crotalinae.
How heavy is the eastern copperhead?
The eastern copperhead has a representative adult body mass of 950 g, which places it in the small size class.
How long does the eastern copperhead live?
Its lifespan is given as 25.65 years, with values up to 29.8 years reported by sources.
At what age does the eastern copperhead reach sexual maturity?
The eastern copperhead reaches sexual maturity at 2 years, with reported values from 2 to 2.5 years.
How many young does the eastern copperhead have?
The figure for young per litter, or eggs per clutch, is 5.65.
Who named the eastern copperhead?
The scientific name Agkistrodon contortrix carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1766).
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
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CreatureData. (2026). Eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/eastern-copperhead
“Eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/eastern-copperhead.
@misc{eastern_copperhead_2026,
title = {Eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/eastern-copperhead},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}