Broad-banded Copperhead

''Agkistrodon laticinctus'', commonly known as the broad-banded copperhead, is a venomous pit viper species,Frank T. Burbrink, Timothy J. Guiher (2014). Considering gene flow when using coalescent methods to delimit lineages of North American pitvipers of the genus Agkistrodon. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, December 2014. formerly considered a subspecies of Agkistrodon contortrix, which is found in the southern United States, from Kansas, through Oklahoma and throughout central Texas.

Description

This form is typically a light tan in color, with darker brown, wide crossbands - which gives it its common name. The actual color varies, by locality, from a red-brown, to a gray-brown. It overlaps with the southern copperhead, '' A. contortrix'' in the eastern reaches of its range, making specimens there difficult to distinguish, but generally ''A. contortrix'' has banding that narrows at the spine, creating hourglass shapes, whereas ''A. laticinctus'' has bands that do not narrow at the spine. They grow to approximately 20-36 inches (50–90 cm) in length. As juveniles, all species of ''Agkistrodon'' have a bright green-yellow color to their tail tips, believed to be used as a lure to attract prey items to approach within striking range. The color fades to a grey or brown at about a year of age.

Common names

Common names for this species include: broad-banded copperhead, copperhead moccasin, copperhead snake, dry-land moccasin, highland moccasin, moccasin, rattlesnake pilot, red eye, Texas copperheadWright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes. Comstock Publishing Associates. (7th printing, 1985). 1105 pp. . and thunder snake.

Geographic range

''Agkistrodon laticinctus'' is known to populate the region between 97 degrees and 99 degrees west longitude, from Central Texas north to the southern border of Kansas and Oklahoma.

Behavior

Secretive and nocturnal, it prefers lightly wooded habitats, typically with a good amount of ground debris for cover, not far from a permanent water source. It typically avoids regions with a significant population of humans. It is an ambush predator, eating rodents, birds, lizards, anurans, and certain insects, with juveniles in particular having a taste for various kinds of insects, such as cicadas. Wide foraging of caterpillars has also been documented in the field.Salmon, G. T., H. W. Greene, and T. Dimler. "Biology of the Pitvipers 2." Biology of the Pitvipers 2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, 4–7 June 2014. Web. 19 July 2014. They are ovoviviparous, giving birth to a litter of up to eight young in the early fall.

Venom

Like most pit viper species, ''A. laticinctus'' has a hemotoxic venom, which is delivered through hinged, hollow fangs set in the front of their jaws. The fangs work like hypodermic needles, injecting the venom in a single, quick striking motion. Copperhead venom is not considered to be life-threatening to an otherwise healthy adult, but it can cause localized swelling, necrosis, and severe pain. Any bite from a venomous snake should be considered serious and medical treatment sought. There is no antivenin specifically manufactured for copperheads. However, CroFab, which makes use of the venom from the cottonmouth ('' Agkistrodon piscivorus''), can be used in cases of a severe envenomation.

Gallery

File:Kupferkopf.JPG, Broad-banded copperhead
File:Agkistrodon contortrix mocassin tete cuivree 9.jpg, Broad-banded copperhead (''Agkistrodon laticinctus'')
File:Agkistrodon contortrix mocassin tete cuivree 5.jpg, Closeup of a Broad-banded copperhead (''Agkistrodon laticinctus'')
File:Agkistrodon contortrix-DS-2 (cropped).JPG, Belly or ventral view of a Broad-banded copperhead (''Agkistrodon laticinctus'')
File:Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus2 (cropped).jpg, A juvenile ''Agkistrodon laticinctus'' with yellow tail
File:Agkistrodon contortrix mokeson 2.jpg, Broad-banded copperhead (''Agkistrodon laticinctus'')
File:Dinosaur Valley State Park October 2020 09 (Texas copperhead) (cropped).jpg, A broad-banded copperhead at Dinosaur Valley State Park, Somervell Co., Texas (10 October 2020)
File:Serpiente cabeza de cobre (Agkistrodon contortrix), Tierpark Hellabrunn, Múnich, Alemania, 2012-06-17, DD 01.JPG, ''Agkistrodon laticinctus'' photographed at the Hellabrunn Zoo, Múnich, Germany

References

External links

*

''Agkistrodon contortrix''
a
University of Texas
Accessed 7 December 2007.

''Agkistrodon''
at Department of Biology, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA70402. Accessed 15 June 2021.

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q106575657, from2=Q4692716

contortrix laticinctus
Reptiles of the United States