COPPERHEAD

any of several unrelated snakes named for their reddish head colour. The North American copperhead Agkistrodon (also spelled Ancistrodon) contortrix is a venomous species found in swampy, rocky, and wooded regions of the eastern and central United States. Also called highland moccasin, it is a member of the viper family (Viperidae) and is placed in the subfamily Crotalinae (pit vipers) because it has the characteristic small, sensory pit between each eye and nostril. It is usually less than 1 m (3 feet) long and is a pinkish or reddish snake with a copper-coloured head and reddish brown, often hourglass-shaped, crossbands on its back. It takes both cold- and warm-blooded prey and is important in rodent control. Many snakebites by it have been reported, but the venom of this snake is relatively weak and rarely fatal. The Australian copperhead (Denisonia superba), a venomous snake of the cobra family (Elapidae) found in Tasmania and along the southern Australian coasts, averages 1.5 m long. It is usually coppery or reddish brown. It is dangerous but is unaggressive when left alone. The copperhead of India is a rat snake, Elaphe radiata.