Copperhead Identification?

[bike_Ninja]

I was riding at LB Houston (Dallas) and happened upon the beheaded snake below.



Is/was that a copperhead?

[austin_bike]

does not look like it to me.

[keithrad]

This guy is a Texas copperhead. Also identifiable by green on the end of the tail.

Not sure what that fellow was, probably a harmless rat snake that keeps rodent population down.

[keithrad]

Actually looks a little like this Boa Constrictor.

[bike_Ninja]

Thanks for the replies.

Not sure what that fellow was, probably a harmless rat snake that keeps rodent population down.

I'm guessing the people who killed the snake thought that it was a copperhead. I thought that it might be a copperhead based on the below picture at the Wikipedia copperhead entry.



There's a spot about 20 feet from the photo where people fish and a lot of them appear to fish for the food. And the funny thing is with the size of the dead snake, it was probably equivalent to several good catches.

[musikron]

Dummies, snake is better than fish anyways!

[2bfluid]

Copperheads have hour glass shaped markings and only have green tail tips when they are very young. They also can be very dark brown, very light brown, or a bright copper color. Its crazy how well they can blend in with leaf litter.

They are territorial but pretty docile.

[bike_Ninja]

Thanks for the tip. The hour-glass markings make for easier and consistent identification.

[2bfluid]

Pretty easy to confuse with a harmless banded water snake, which eat fish and and small amphibians.

[Cleared2land]

Another interesting note regarding Copperheads is they frequently can be recognized by their strong, musty odor. I don't know of any other snake that exhibits an odor.

[bike_Ninja]

Another interesting note regarding Copperheads is they frequently can be recognized by their strong, musty odor. I don't know of any other snake that exhibits an odor.

I hope the odor is either very strong or that I'm never close enough to confirm that odor!

[Dirtvet]

It seems to me when they are young/small they are just a light brown color - you may not make out the markings.