Though not as venomous as other species, the copperhead snakes cause the majority of bite in the US. The copperhead can be recognized by the stout shape and the clear distinction between the neck and the rest of the body as well as by its pale cross-band tan pattern that gets darker in the middle and on the sides. The bellies of copperhead snakes are pale-colored, similar to the background, but they sometimes appear pretty whitish. There are visible spots or pits on the head of copperhead snakes that look like darker tiny specks, but there is also a rather discolored stripe right behind the eyes; this stripe looks very diffuse on top but it gets brownish towards the edges.
Copperhead snakes prefer all sorts of habitats, from rocks and pond areas to woods and stream shores. The choice of the abode is dictated by the presence of prey, as copperhead snakes eat birds, frogs, mice, cicadas, caterpillars and other small animals they manage to hunt. Among the hide places for the copperhead, walls stones, debris or wood piles, empty buildings and large stone slabs are the favorite which explains the possibility of a human face to face encounter in such areas. Copperhead snakes will be active from March to October, with a hibernation period in the cold autumn and winter months.
Copperhead snakes return to the same abodes to hibernate year after year, and usually there are more specimens living in the same abode. On very hot summer days, the copperhead snakes will stay in cooler areas during the day and go out to hunt at night. On pleasantly warm days, the copperhead will simply bask in the sun on rocks or wood debris. Copperhead snakes do not hatch eggs, but give birth to their siblings alive, and their number varies between one and fourteen, with the mating period extending till mid autumn.
Immediate medical assistance is absolutely necessary in the case of bites by copperhead snakes since they are not only very painful but they may also lead to permanent scarring and tissue loss. The best advice you can get when encountering copperhead snakes is to avoid them, since many people get bitten when threaten the snakes by maneuvers or hunting attempts. Snakes will not harm you unless they feel threatened, then, you will see how fiercely they can defend themselves. Studies indicate that copperhead snakes have the highest incidence in bite frequency in the United States, because these snakes attack quite out of the blue without giving threatening warnings like other species.
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