{"id":10993,"date":"2022-04-22T11:37:30","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T11:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=10993"},"modified":"2022-08-14T03:06:39","modified_gmt":"2022-08-14T08:06:39","slug":"cottonmouth-vs-copperhead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/cottonmouth-vs-copperhead\/","title":{"rendered":"Cottonmouth Vs Copperhead: Side By Side"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you live in the southeastern United States, you may have heard that both cottonmouths and copperheads live in your area. But what are these snakes, exactly? Are they the same thing, or two different species of snake? And should you be worried about encountering them? In this article, we\u2019ll compare the cottonmouth vs. the copperhead, comparing their similarities and differences and discussing which one is more poisonous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Cottonmouth?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"What
Cottonmouth<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A cottonmouth is a type of venomous pit viper snake<\/a> that lives primarily in the southeastern United States. It can be found from eastern Texas and southern Missouri south and east toward the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cottonmouths are semi-aquatic snakes; they thrive both on land and in water. For this reason, they often live in swamps and marshes, near bodies of water, and in other wetlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These snakes are typically brown, gray, or olive-green in color with non distinct or muted darker patterns; they may have a light-colored band wrapping around the middle of the body. Their bodies are thick and muscular but become significantly more narrow at the tail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are medium-sized snakes, as they can grow anywhere between 2 and 4 feet long. The inside of their mouth is white, and they have the classic triangular-shaped head which pit vipers are known for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cottonmouths are most active at night, and they will eat just about anything that crosses their path. Some of their most common food choices include small mammals, fish, reptiles including other snakes, and amphibians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cottonmouths mate in the spring and fall of each year. The females give birth to broods of live young, usually between 10 and 20 snakes per brood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Copperhead?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"What
Copperhead<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A copperhead is another type of venomous pit viper. Like the cottonmouth, it is commonly found throughout the southeastern United States; though its distribution is a little wider: from central Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, northward through southern Illinois, and all along the east coast from Massachusetts to Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copperheads live on land; they prefer areas with lots of vines, shrubs, and other forms of plant overgrowth, though they can also be found in populated suburban areas. They frequently live in forest and woodland habitats, mountains, canyons, and grasslands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These snakes typically have highly distinctive markings; they tend to be tan with darker brown hourglass-shaped bands, and their heads are typically more reddish in color (hence the name \u201ccopperhead\u201d<\/em>). They have thick, muscular bodies that become more narrow toward the tail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copperheads are medium-sized snakes<\/a> that typically grow to about 3 feet long, though some grow up to 4 feet long. Their copper-colored head gives way to a reddish-colored mouth, and the head is triangular like most other pit vipers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copperheads are most active at night during the hot summer months, but they are more active during daylight hours during the spring and fall. They eat mostly land-based prey such as small birds, rodents, lizards, and some small snakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like cottonmouths, copperheads mate during the spring and fall and give birth to live young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cottonmouth Vs. Copperhead: Similarities and Differences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Check out this video to get a great visual comparison of cottonmouths and copperheads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=qrKdWVZWdWY<\/a>