Hobbies And Interests
Pits and Prey
The Northern Copperhead snake belongs to the subfamily Crotalinae, which means pit viper. This group of snakes, which includes rattlesnakes, are named pit vipers because of the pits on the sides of their face under their nose. From afar, these pits look like large nostrils. They are used to detect heat, which helps the Northern Copperhead find its prey. They prefer mice, small birds, frogs and cicadas. The snake is most active during or after night rain storms because that is when its prey is most likely to emerge.
Reproduction
The female is able to store sperm to impregnate themselves with later. She can mate with many different males, keep all of their sperm, then impregnate herself when she ovulates. This means that one litter could have many different fathers, which increases the gene pool in local copperhead populations. Females give birth once a year to up to 10 young at once.
Birth
Northern copperheads give birth to live babies, one of the few snake families that do. Instead of hatching from an egg, the young Northern copperheads are born in a transparent membrane, which they emerge from immediately if they are healthy. At birth, they possess the same amount of venom as an adult.
Other Snakes
The harmless and nonvenomous Eastern milk snake and the Northern water snake defend themselves by just looking like the Northern copperhead. They have similar beige and brown banded patterning, and are found in the same range as the Northern copperhead. However, the Eastern milk snake has a checkerboard-patterned belly not found on copperheads, and the harmless snakes have oval-shaped heads. The Northern copperhead has a triangular-shaped head.