Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix
(LINNAEUS, 1766)
Jasper Co., South Carolina. May 26, 1998
There’s nothing like finding a half-dozen pieces of tin on the ground back in the woods or in a field somewhere. It’s called ‘tin’ no matter what material it is, and your pulse quickens at the anticipation of what might be underneath. Back in the woods near the Savannah River we found a small cache of tin, and underneath the metal we found several southern copperheads. After examining and photographing these beauties, we put them right back under the tin where we found them, and in doing so found another copperhead! We had failed to notice there were three snakes under one piece of tin. It’s no surprise, given their lovely leaf-litter camouflage, and their habit of remaining still and relying on their patterns to hide them.
NOTE: I have not followed the Agkistrodon synonomies of Burbrink & Guiher 2014, pending further studies making use of appropriate sample sizes.
My Flickr album for this species is here.
HerpMapper records for this species are here.
