How To Distinguish A Copperhead

Table of contents:

How To Distinguish A Copperhead
How To Distinguish A Copperhead

Video: How To Distinguish A Copperhead

Video: How To Distinguish A Copperhead
Video: The Copperhead Snake: Everything You Need To Know! 2024, April
Anonim

Copperhead is a species of snakes of the already-shaped family. This snake also has a middle name - it is often called "smooth snake". It is absolutely not dangerous to humans, and for its rarity is listed in the Red Book.

How to distinguish a copperhead
How to distinguish a copperhead

Instructions

Step 1

Coppersmiths for their rarity are included in the Red Book in the following Russian regions: Vologda, Tyumen, Kirov, Tambov, Moscow and some other regions. The killing and trapping of this type of snake is strictly prohibited.

Step 2

Copperheads live in coniferous and mixed forests, preferring warm, sunny places. Copperhead is absolutely not poisonous to humans, its poison is directed against small animals: frogs, lizards, mice, voles, shrews and some others. She swallows her victims alive or strangles them with her rings. This snake is active for a rather long period: from April to early October. Starting from the end of August, they hatch their offspring: from 2 to 15 babies.

Step 3

Copperhead can be easily recognized. The length of its body is usually no more than 70 cm, and the tail is much shorter than the body: 4-6 times. The head of the copperhead is practically not delimited by the neck and is slightly flattened, so the head and neck are one whole.

Step 4

The pupil of these snakes is round, which just speaks of its non-toxicity for humans, since in poisonous snakes the pupil is usually a slit. The scales on the back of the copperhead are very smooth, it has a hexagonal or even rhomboid shape.

Step 5

The color of the snake's body is quite varied and is presented in many variations. There are copperheads of the following color shades: from yellow, copper-red, reddish-brownish-brown to gray-brown and even gray. Moreover, in females, brown colors usually dominate, and in males, reddish-brownish. The pattern on the body is usually not defined and is practically not visible, since it is very blurred. Basically, transverse stripes and spots are depicted on their torso.

Step 6

A distinctive feature of the copperhead is that there is an image on its head in the form of a dark strip or a line that passes through the eye. On the back of the head, the snake has two almost fused brown spots. The color of the belly ranges from gray to brownish-red, with dark, poorly defined spots, as well as a grayish line in the middle.

Step 7

Coppers, especially young ones, can be attacked by hedgehogs, rats, frogs and wild boars, as well as some species of birds. To protect herself from enemies, she shrinks into a ball, hiding her head there and hissing, thereby frightening off ill-wishers.

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