Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
Summary 2
Agkistrodon contortrix is a species of venomous snake endemic to North America, a member of the Crotalinae (pit viper) subfamily. The common name for the species is the copperhead. The behavior of Agkistrodon contortrix may lead to accidental encounters with humans.
Trophic strategy 3
The Copperhead is primarily a carnivore, as an adult eating mostly mice but also small birds, lizards, small snakes, amphibians and insects. The snakes are capable of swallowing prey that is several times larger than their own diameter. This is possible because they have a very flexible jaw and digestive juices that allow it to digest both bones and fur. They are most active April through late October, diurnal (during the day) in the spring and fall, and nocturnal during the summer months. Young copperheads eat mostly insects, especially caterpillars, and use their yellow tipped tails to function as a worm-like lure to attract prey.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/7457894@N04/3614626319
- Adapted by okaloosascience from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agkistrodon_contortrix
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31375217
