Backyard Nature - The Copperhead Snake

The most common venomous snake in the eastern half of the United States is known by many names. Depending on the region you’re in you may hear it referred to as the highland moccasin, the death adder, chunk head, pilot snake or red snake; but most often it is called the copperhead, and it may live in your backyard.

Copperheads are a species of pit viper and are related to North American rattlesnakes and moccasins. Growing to a maximum length of about three feet, copperheads are amongst the smallest North American vipers. Coloration varies from brown to pinkish tan in color with 10-18 distinct crossbands that are light tan to pale brown in the center and darker towards the edges. They do not have rattles on their tails like many other pit vipers.

Copperheads can usually be found in forested areas and are particularly common near rock outcroppings and ledges in mixed woodlands. Though primarily nocturnal during hot weather, copperheads are active during the day whenever the weather cools. During the winter months they can be found in dens often under ledges. These dens are sometimes shared with other species of snakes, even larger vipers such as timber rattlesnakes.

Most venomous snakes strongly prefer to avoid confrontations with animals that are too large for them to eat. Their venom is a precious commodity and they prefer not to waste it on anything that won’t become a meal. If threatened, a pit viper’s first reaction is usually to flee. If this is not possible, most vipers attempt to make their presence known to the intruder through either an audio display (a rattlesnake shaking its rattles) or a visual display (a cottonmouth opening its jaw to show its fangs). These actions are usually enough to convince a hiker (or deer) to choose another route.

However, the copperhead isn’t like most other vipers. Instead of making its presence known to an intruder, a copperhead that is unable to flee will usually stay motionless, using its camouflaged coloring to make itself nearly impossible to see on the forest floor. This often leads to hikers unknowingly stepping on the snake and provoking it to bite.

As common as copperhead bites are, they are usually not life-threatening. Many self-defense bites are “dry bites” in which little or no venom is injected. Even if the bite is venomous, the copperhead’s venom is considerably weaker than that of most vipers, and use of an antivenin is usually not required. However, fatalities can occur and immediate medical attention should be sought for any copperhead bite. 

New Discoveries in the Himalayas

The Gumprecht’s green pit viper can grow up to 4.3 feet, not something you want to run across hiking through the Himalayas. However, it was recently discovered there this past month. The snake was originally discovered in Thailand in 2002, but it’s now known to live in the Eastern Himalaya region also. This region has provided 300 new species since 1998. 

The Animals of Kung Fu Panda

If you haven't seen Kung Fu Panda, go see it this weekend! It's a hilarious film, and the animals are so cute. I thought it would be fun to take a closer look at each of the main characters in the film and learn more about the animal species.

Of course, first there's Po the panda, who works in his father's noodle shop and turns out to be a kung fu warrior. I won't go into detail here about pandas since I've covered them thoroughly, so if you'd like to read more on pandas, see my previous posts and The Jungle Store's Panda Fact Page.

Check out this clip of Po showing off his moves with Master Shifu:

Shifu is a red panda. The red panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat and is a mostly herbivorous animal, specializing in feeding on bamboo. It is an excellent tree climber and spends most of its time in trees when not foraging. Red pandas are endangered, due to poaching and fragmentation of their habitat due to deforestation.

Then there are the Furious Five: Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane. The Furious Five is a group of highly-skilled martial artists trained by Shifu. I have already covered tigers and monkeys in previous posts and fact pages, so I will skip over them.

Mantis is a preying mantis . Mantises are notable for their hunting abilities. Their diet consists of living insects, and sometimes, small animals. Most mantises are ambush predators, waiting for their prey to come too close before snatching them up.

Viper is a viper snake, a very colorful and robust animal. The viper snake lives in wet places and also in mountains in small caves. The viper's bright colors help it survive on the floor of the rain forest. This snake can hang by its tail from a branch and catch its prey, which includes birds, amphibians, lizards, small mammals, and nestling. It kills its prey by injecting poisonous venom from its fangs. The viper snake is endangered because its beautiful, smooth skin is in high demand in the fashion industry.

Crane is most likely a red-crowned crane, a species of bird that is very large and is the second rarest kind of crane in the world. In east Asia, the red-crowned crane is a symbol of luck and fidelity. It eats small amphibians, aquatic invertebrates, insects, and marshy plants. Sadly, the red-crested crane is one of the most endangered species of birds in the world.

Tai Lung is the evil snow leopard who escapes from prison and seeks to destroy the Valley of Peace. The snow leopard is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. It is a rare and secretive animal, and because of this, the exact number that remains in the wild is unknown. Snow leopards live solitary lives, except when females are raising cubs. The leopard eats mostly sheep and goats, as well as small prey including marmots, hares and larger birds. They are opportunistic predators, meaning if there is livestock near, snow leopards will attack them. Want to learn more about snow leopards? Check out Zoobooks "Little Cats" softcover.

Have you seen Kung Fu Panda? What did you think of the movie? Who was your favorite character? I'd have to say mine was Po - he was just too funny! My favorite Po quote: "I just ate... so my kung fu may not be as good as later on."