What snake is commonly mistaken for a copperhead?
Eastern Ratsnake
The most common snake misidentified as a copperhead is the harmless juvenile Eastern Ratsnake (formerly called the blackrat snake). The Eastern Ratsnake starts life with a strong pattern of gray or brown blotches on a pale gray background.
What Missouri snake looks like a copperhead?
Kingsnakes kill their prey by constriction. Young or newly hatched prairie kingsnakes often are confused with the venomous copperhead. Kingsnakes have round to rectangular markings on their back (see inset), while copperheads have hourglass-shaped markings.
How can you tell the difference between a copperhead and a corn snake?
On top, the snakes can have a brown or coppery body with brown or reddish-brown patches, though the patches on the copperhead are somewhat hourglass-shaped, and the patches on the corn snake tend to have black margins. Its ventral side resembles a black and white checkerboard.
What are the 5 venomous snakes of Missouri?
There are five poisonous snakes in the state of Missouri: the Osage Copperhead, Western Cottonmouth, Timber Rattlesnake, Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, and the Pygmy Rattlesnake.
How do you tell if it’s a copperhead?
The copperhead snake head is indeed a coppery, reddish-brown color with some dots on the top. The snake’s triangle-shaped head is large in proportion to its narrower neck. Copperheads are bulky snakes and reach up to about 3 feet in length in maturity. Their eyes have slit-like pupils similar to cat’s eyes.
Where are copperheads most commonly found?
Copperheads are found in a wide variety of habitats, but they are most often asso- ciated with woodlands. Favorite spots are those providing cover as well as some sun for basking, such as woodland edges, rocky south-facing slopes and ivy thickets.
What does a Missouri garter snake look like?
The eastern gartersnake is Missouri’s most common gartersnake. The color is variable (dark brown, greenish, or olive), but there are normally three yellowish stripes, one down the back and one on each side. The eastern gartersnake is Missouri’s most common gartersnake.
Where do Copperheads nest?
Their dens are often near the borders of marshes, creeks, rivers and lakes. Copperhead snakes frequently hibernate in dens made up of rocks. They also often den inside logs and in holes carved out by mammals. Other typical den spots for these snakes are stone walls, heaps of sawdust, stumps and caves.
Where are copperhead snakes found?
Of the five copperhead subspecies, the northern copperhead has the greatest range. It is found in northern Georgia and Alabama, north to Massachusetts and west to Illinois. Copperheads live in a range of habitats, from terrestrial to semiaquatic, including rocky, forested hillsides and wetlands.
Where are Copperheads most commonly found?
What is the most venomous snake in Missouri?
The most common venomous snake in Missouri is the copperhead. Other venomous snakes include the Osage and southern copperhead, cottonmouth , massasauga rattlesnake , western pygmy rattlesnake and timber rattlesnake. So far, there is no record of anyone dying in Missouri from a copperhead bite.
What are the poisonous snakes in Missouri?
Missouri is home to five venomous snake species: timber rattlesnakes, massasauga rattlesnakes, pygmy rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths. It is important to note that these snakes are correctly called venomous, rather than poisonous.
What snakes are native to Missouri?
The good news is, very few of the snakes native to Missouri are venomous. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation , only five of the nearly 50 species and subspecies of snakes that live in the state are poisonous: copperhead, cottonmouth, western pygmy rattlesnake, massasauga rattlesnake, and timber rattlesnake.
What venomous snakes live in Missouri?
Missouri’s venomous snakes include the copperhead, cottonmouth, western pygmy rattlesnake, massasauga rattlesnake, and timber rattlesnake. The western diamond-backed rattlesnake and coralsnake are not found in Missouri.