Part 2

Not quick to seek cover when approached, copperheads prefer to lie perfectly still until an intruder has passed. Once molested, they frequently vibrate their tails and, if among dry leaves, produce a buzzing sound not unlike that made by a rattlesnake. Copperheads are quick to strike at any annoying object, and often bite several times in rapid succession.

Copperheads seldom deliver a fatal bite because of their short fangs and small size. Their strike is often blocked by a mere trouser leg. Records of the Antivenin Institute of America show that during a 10-year period, not a single death resulted from 308 recorded copperhead bites regardless of the lack or kind of treatment given victims. In spite of these reassuring figures, it must be remembered that the copperhead is potentially a dangerous snake, especially when the bite involves a child. All bites from this species should receive the same urgent consideration given the bite of a diamondback rattlesnake.

The four forms of copperheads occurring in Texas are the only kinds found in the United States.

SOUTHERN COPPERHEAD _Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix_

Description—Lighter in color than the other copperheads, this form has a body color of light brown or tan, often with a pinkish tinge. Hourglass-shaped crossbands of darker brown are very narrow along the middle of the back and are sometimes broken, forming two separate triangular markings, one on each side of the body. As on the northern copperhead, the bands are rounded at their bases. The belly is pale and indistinctly marked.

Size—Adults average between 20 and 30 inches long, while some especially large examples reach a length of more than 40 inches.

Young—The average number in a brood is five or six. As with all North American pit vipers, the young do not hatch from eggs but are born alive, enclosed in a thin membranous sack. They are paler than adults, with a more vivid pattern, and a bright sulphur yellow tail tip.

Distribution in Texas—The southern copperhead is known in about the eastern third of the state, where it has been found in the following counties: Austin, Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Colorado, Fort Bend, Gonzales, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Tarrant, Trinity, Victoria, and Walker.

NORTHERN COPPERHEAD _Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen_

Description—This darker form has a pattern of reddish-brown or chestnut colored crossbands, which become narrower near the middle of the back and rounded at the bases. The darker color of these “dumbbell” shaped bands contrasts with the hazel-brown body color. The underside of the snake is dark and indistinctly mottled with gray or black. Its head is usually of a lighter tint than the body.

Size—Adults usually are about two and a half feet long but record size individuals of more than 40 inches have been caught.

Young—Newborn northern copperheads, from three to 14 in a brood, may be from eight to 10 inches long.

Distribution—Records of this snake are rather widely scattered over the northeastern part of the state. Specimens have been collected in the following counties: Bastrop, Bowie, Burleson, Cass, Collin, Colorado, Coryell, Dallas, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Guadalupe, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Lee, McLennan, Milam, Morris, Robertson, Smith, Somervell, and Titus.

BROADBANDED COPPERHEAD _Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus_

Description—The very broad, straight edged crossbands of this snake easily distinguish it from other copperheads. The similar Trans-Pecos copperhead differs by the presence of a light colored inverted U at the base of each crossband. The dark brown bands of this form are slightly narrower at the middle of the back than on the sides; their nearly straight edges gives the bands a squarish appearance. The dark crossbands contrast strongly with the lighter body color, while the belly is of almost the same shade as the bands. The tail is tipped with yellowish green, more pronounced in the young.

Size—Snakes of this subspecies probably reach a length of three feet but most adults are about two feet long.

Young—Litters probably average five or six but little else is known about the breeding habits of this form.

Distribution—Widely scattered records include the following counties: Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Bosque, Burnet, Callahan, Comal, Cooke, Crockett, Denton, Dimmit, Eastland, Fayette, Frio, Gillespie, Gonzales, Grayson, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Mason, Medina, McLennan, Parker, Palo Pinto, Real, San Saba, Tarrant, Taylor, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Travis, Uvalde, Victoria, Wilson, Wise, and Young.

TRANS-PECOS COPPERHEAD _Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster_

Description—This species resembles the broadbanded copperhead by its straight edged, squarish crossbands but differs from all other copperheads by having uniformly dark or strongly mottled belly. It also differs from the broadbanded form by the presence of a light colored inverted U at the base of each crossband. The pattern consists of about 13 chestnut-brown crossbands with narrow, dark borders. The color between the bands is light hazel brown, flecked with darker brown.

Size—This is the smallest of the copperheads, probably not reaching a length of two and one-half feet.

Young—Nothing is known of the breeding habits of this rare snake.

Distribution—This form apparently is restricted to the mountains of West Texas, where it is known in Brewster, Jeff Davis, Presidio and Terrell Counties. Until 1949 it was found sparingly throughout its range and less than a dozen specimens had been found by experienced collectors. Recently, however, students from The University of Texas obtained about 100 of these snakes during a six weeks’ summer course in a small section of Terrell County. This indicates that the Trans-Pecos copperhead is common, but in restricted areas only. Such areas generally are in wooded canyons and live oak groves where there is some leaf litter.

THE COTTONMOUTH

Only one kind of cottonmouth is found in Texas. It is one of our heaviest and largest poisonous snakes and may reach a length of more than five feet. When viewed from above, the head appears triangular shaped and from the side the head looks flat on top.

The eye pupils, as with all members of the pit viper sub-family, are elliptical.

WESTERN COTTONMOUTH _Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma_

Description—This is the most variable poisonous snake in the state, both in color and in the presence or absence of markings. Adults are much less brilliantly marked than are the young or newborn snakes. Adults have a background of dark brown and are marked by from 10 to 15 dark, wide crossbands somewhat lighter in the center than at the edges. The bands, which have irregular edges, become a little wider along the sides. However, not all cottonmouths look like this. While some individuals have clearly defined crossbands, others have none. There is also considerable variation in color. Some cottonmouths are brown; some are olive brown or olive green; and some are entirely black. The lower jaw, as well as the upper jaw below the eye, is light in contrast to the dark color on top of the head. Young cottonmouths are vividly marked on a background of reddish-brown, highlighted by darker brown bands edged with white. They look much like copperheads.

Size—In Texas, this heavy-bodied snake reaches a maximum length of about four and a half or five feet, but the average is more nearly three feet.

Young—About eight are born in each litter. They are from six to eight inches long at birth.

Distribution—The cottonmouth has been reported in the following counties: Anderson, Aransas, Atascosa, Austin, Bandera, Bexar, Bowie, Brazos, Brazoria, Burleson, Burnet, Cass, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Collin, Colorado, Comal, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Fisher, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Grayson, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Kaufman, Kerr, Kimble, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Marion, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McLennan, Medina, Montgomery, Morris, Nacogdoches, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Parker, Polk, Red River, Refugio, Robertson, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Shelby, Smith, Sterling, Tarrant, Tom Green, Travis, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Walker, Wharton, Wilson, and Wise.

The cottonmouth is one of our largest poisonous snakes. It is particularly abundant in the coastal marshes of southeastern Texas where it is found along streams, ponds and lakes. Although ordinarily rather sluggish, it immediately draws back its head and opens its mouth widely in a threatening manner when annoyed, exposing the white tissue lining the inside of the mouth. This characteristic pose is responsible for its popular name. Moreover, like the copperhead, which also lacks rattles, it has the habit of vibrating its tail when sufficiently annoyed. Thus, when it is among dry leaves, or if the tail strikes a hard object, the resulting sound may be similar to that made by a rattlesnake.

The name water moccasin, which is loosely applied to any and all water snakes as well as to the cottonmouth, has resulted in a popular but misplaced belief that all “water” snakes are poisonous. It should be pointed out here that the cottonmouth, _Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma_, is our only poisonous aquatic serpent. The several kinds of harmless water snakes, which in some instances resemble it, are devoid of poison. They can, at most, inflict a bite no more serious than the scratch of a cat and these wounds require only the first aid recommended for minor cuts.

Harmless water snakes most frequently mistaken for the cottonmouth include the large diamondbacked water snake of central and eastern Texas, the blotched water snake found over most of the state, and the yellowbellied and broadbanded water snakes of eastern Texas. Most of them are relatively heavy bodied, possess somewhat diamond shaped heads and, although not venomous, will bite viciously if stepped upon or handled.

THE RATTLESNAKES

More than one-half of all the poisonous kinds of snakes known in Texas are rattlesnakes, and records show that almost every county has at least one variety. Texas rattlesnakes range in size from the very small, 18-inch western pigmy rattlesnake, which rarely if ever causes death among humans, to the seven-foot western diamondback rattlesnake, known to be one of the most dangerous snakes in North America. All have comparatively stout bodies, facial pits characteristic of the family, and rattles.

The rattle, which sets this snake apart, is a series of loosely interlocking horny segments which, when vibrated, produce a sharp buzzing sound as the segments strike against one another. A rattlesnake’s age cannot be determined by the number of segments of its rattle because a new segment is added with each shedding of the skin. Because a snake may shed several times a year, the resulting number of segments added annually may be six or more. On the other hand, the segments are frequently broken off as the rattle becomes caught in underbrush, so that few rattlesnakes have a complete rattle.

WESTERN MASSASAUGA _Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus_

Description—The general body color is brown or gray. About 39 dark brown, oval blotches extend along the middle of the back while two rows of smaller blotches are found along each side. These blotches are narrowly edged with a lighter color.

Size—Adults average two feet in length; larger specimens are sometimes as long as three feet.

Young—The young resemble the adults but are lighter in color. Average number in a litter is eight or nine and they measure eight or nine inches at birth.

Distribution—Records of this snake are widely scattered throughout the state, including the following counties: Andrews, Aransas, Armstrong, Bell, Bosque, Brazos, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Clay, Colorado, Crosby, Dickens, El Paso, Gaines, Galveston, Hardeman, Haskell, Hemphill, Jim Hogg, Johnson, King, Matagorda, McLennan, Midland, Nolan, Nueces, Parker, Pecos, Roberts, Shackelford, Sutton, Tarrant, Throckmorton, Victoria, Wheeler, Wilbarger, Winkler, Yoakum, and Young.

This small rattlesnake is uncommon in Texas, although years ago it was plentiful in some parts of the state. J. K. Strecker in his _Reptiles and Amphibians of Texas_, 1915, states:

Mr. Luttrell of Claude, Armstrong County, informed me that he has often killed from 50 to 60 during one wheat season, but during the past four or five years he has not seen more than half a dozen a year.

Wet places, usually near swamps or marshes, are its favorite habitat. One of our most docile rattlesnakes, it is seldom inclined to use its rattle, even when almost stepped upon.

WESTERN PIGMY RATTLESNAKE _Sistrurus miliarius streckeri_

Description—The body color of this snake is from gray to grayish-brown. Its back is marked with about 35 small, dark spots which are wider than long. Another row of smaller spots is located along each side toward the belly.

Size—Specimens average 18 inches long and large examples may reach a length of more than two feet.

Young—The normal brood contains from eight to 10 but some may have as many as 18. Average length of the newborn is five or six inches.

Distribution—All county records of this snake, except one from Mitchell County, are in the eastern part of the state. The Mitchell County record may be an error. Records include the following counties: Anderson, Angelina, Brazoria, Brazos, Chambers, Cooke, Dallas, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Matagorda, McLennan, Mitchell, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Red River, Refugio, Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Somervell, Victoria, Walker, Wharton, and Wise.

The western pigmy rattlesnake prefers to live in dry areas; reports of professional collectors indicate that it is found in greatest number after heavy rains and at night. While more aggressive than its close relative, the massasauga, its small size makes it one of our least dangerous poisonous snakes. Its rattle is small, often difficult to see, and cannot be heard at distances greater than a few feet.

WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE _Crotalus atrox_

Description—Although individuals of this species show a great deal of variation in color, from a chalky white to a dull red, they can be identified immediately by the alternate black and white rings of about equal width on the tail. There is a pattern of brown diamond shaped markings along the middle of the back, which stands out against the lighter body color. Each diamond has a narrow light border.

Size—Adults are generally from three and a half to four and a half feet long. Reliable reports indicate that this species grows to a length of over seven and a half feet, and six-foot specimens are not rare.

Young—Broods average 10 or 12 but occasionally contain 20 or more. The newborn diamondback is about a foot long and looks very much like the adult.

Distribution—Known throughout most of the state except the extreme eastern part, it may be expected in many more counties from which records of its occurrence have not yet been received. It is definitely known in these counties: Andrews, Aransas, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Bosque, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Clay, Coke, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Coryell, Cottle, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dallas, Dawson, Deaf Smith, DeWitt, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Erath, Fisher, Foard, Frio, Galveston, Garza, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hardeman, Harris, Hartley, Hays, Hidalgo, Howard, Hudspeth, Hutchinson, Irion, Jack, Jackson, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kendall, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, Lampasas, La Salle, Lavaca, Limestone, Live Oak, Llano, Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Midland, Milam, Mills, Mitchell, Moore, Motley, Nolan, Nueces, Oldham, Palo Pinto, Pecos, Porter, Presidio, Randall, Real, Reeves, Refugio, San Patricio, Scurry, Shackelford, Somervell, Starr, Sterling, Stevens, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Travis, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Ward, Webb, Wells, Wilbarger, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wise, Wichita, Young, Zapata, and Zavala.

This is the most dangerous and, at the same time, the most common poisonous snake in the state. Therefore, it is one which all Texas outdoorsmen should be able to recognize on sight. A summary of snake bite cases in the United States over a 10-year period shows that more people died from bites of this species than from bites of any other North American snake. There are several reasons why this snake is responsible for so many bites and such a high number of deaths. Chief among these is its large size. It ranks as one of the two largest poisonous snakes in the country, being second only to the eight-foot eastern diamondback rattlesnake of the southeastern states. In direct proportion to its size, it has long fangs and poison glands which hold a great amount of venom. These factors insure a long strike and deep fang penetration. In addition, it has an unusually furious disposition and, if threatened with danger or sufficiently annoyed, will vigorously defend itself instead of seeking immediate escape.

Although strictly a land snake, the diamondback may sometimes be found crossing streams or ponds and, occasionally, individuals will venture out into lakes and bays.

TIMBER RATTLESNAKE _Crotalus horridus horridus_

Description—This snake is much like the larger canebrake rattler but lacks the dark stripe from the eye to the back of the mouth, and generally is without the reddish-brown stripe down the middle of its back. Dark brown chevron shaped crossbands contrast with the general body color of yellowish tan. In some specimens black stippling occurs between the markings. Both black and light color phases of this snake are found in some parts of its range. It is unknown whether the dark specimens occur in Texas. The tail is marked with three or four dark bands on the lighter specimens but is altogether black on the darker ones.

Size—Throughout its range this snake has an average length of from three and a half to four feet, but a specimen six feet long is on record.

Young—The number in a brood varies from three to 12. Length of the newborn is eight or nine inches.

Distribution—The timber rattlesnake prefers rocky hills and mountains that are not too heavily wooded, but it sometimes inhabits bogs and swamps at lower elevations. In either situation, it seldom survives for long in areas heavily populated by man. In common with most other rattlesnakes, it seeks escape when approached by man and fights only when surprised or cornered. Known in northeastern Texas, it is reported from Cooke, Denton, Eastland, Grayson, Lamar, Red River, Taylor, and Wise Counties.

Like the prairie rattler, it often seeks the same denning areas year after year and congregates in numbers to hibernate for the winter.

CANEBRAKE RATTLESNAKE _Crotalus horridus atricaudatus_

Description—This is a large and heavily built snake with a brown or tan back marked by a series of wide, dark, chevron shaped crossbands. It may be distinguished from the similar timber rattlesnake by its larger size, its more vivid markings, and the presence of a dark stripe from the eye to the angle of its mouth. Generally, a narrow, reddish-brown stripe extends down the middle of the back. Its tail, as in some other rattlesnakes, is entirely black.

Size—In Texas this snake reaches a length of about six feet, while in nearby Louisiana exceptionally large specimens, some nearly seven feet long, have been found. Length averages four and a half feet.

Young—About eight or ten are born in a brood.

Distribution—This species prefers wooded areas in wet bottomlands. It has been found in the following counties: Austin, Bexar, Bosque, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Cass, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Gonzales, Grayson, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, McLennan, Navarro, Robertson, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Taylor, Victoria, Waller, Williamson, and Wise.

BANDED ROCK RATTLESNAKE _Crotalus lepidus lepidus_

Description—This snake is very similar to the mottled rock rattlesnake, with which it might be confused, but from which it differs by having a more mottled appearance between the crossbands and a dark stripe from the eye to the angle of the mouth. It has a pattern of about 18 or 20 widely spaced dark crossbands with irregular edges in contrast to its gray body color. Belly color varies from cream to pink.

In the Chisos Mountains, where there is much reddish igneous rock, the normal color of this snake is pinkish; the variety has been given the name of “pink rattler” by people of that region. Specimens from the limestone ledges along the Pecos Canyon at Howard Creek and Sheffield are very light in color, resembling the limestone rock on which they are found.

Size—This is one of our smallest rattlesnakes, having an average length of two feet. The rattle is rather large in proportion to the small size of the snake.

Young—About four are born in a brood and they measure about seven and a half inches at birth.

Distribution—This form is restricted to the mountainous areas of the western and southwestern parts of the state; it has been found in the following counties: Brewster, Culberson, Edwards, Jeff Davis, Maverick, Pecos, Presidio, Real, Terrell, and Val Verde.

Because of its small size and distribution restricted to rocky places at high elevations, the banded rock rattlesnake cannot be considered a serious menace to man. Apparently there is no record of anyone ever having been bitten by this snake. It has a quiet disposition and, if alarmed, will immediately retreat within the masses of jumbled rock which are its home.

MOTTLED ROCK RATTLESNAKE _Crotalus lepidus klauberi_

Description—This species and the banded rock rattlesnake look much alike. Both are small and slender, and marked with a series of widely-spaced dark crossbands along the length of the body and tail. The banded rock rattlesnake, however, has about 20 or 22 dark brown or black crossbands, which contrast strongly with its greenish-gray body color. It further differs from the banded rock rattlesnake in lacking a dark stripe from the eye to the angle of its mouth.

Size—Adults average two feet in length.