In the author's opinion, the Southern Copperhead is the most commonly seen venomous snake in Harris County. This is due to its crepuscular habits, being active whenever the temperature permits. In the summer months the weather is normally extremely hot, causing Southern Copperheads to be nocturnal (active at night).

Both juvenile and adult Southern Copperheads are similarly marked by a series of dark bands on their backs. These dark bands are wide on each side of the belly and narrow along the backbone, giving the appearance of an hourglass or "figure 8" when viewed from above. Additionally, the markings look like Hershey's Kisses if viewed from the side. All of the bands may not join in the middle of the back but the majority will do so.

As with all Pit Vipers in the United States, the Southern Copperhead gives birth to live young....there is no such thing as a Copperhead egg. The young average eight to ten inches at birth and have a bright yellow tail, which fades as the snake grows. Remember - even the newborn Southern Copperhead has dark hourglass-shaped markings, so if it doesn't have these bands it isn't a Southern Copperhead!!

Adults average two to three feet in length, but there are occasional "giants" that may reach 3 1/2 feet. Diet consists of small prey animals such as insects, small frogs and toads, fish, reptiles and rodents for juveniles. However, as they reach adult size their diet becomes more specialized and consists of mostly rodents.