Talk:Agkistrodon contortrix

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Contents

[edit] Page creation

It's really neat how this page has come together so quickly and well! :-) -- Marj 01:50 6 Jun 2003 (UTC)

Yes: I love it when that happens. Trouble is .... now we need to do all the other species to match up with it. :( Tannin

I'm not sure about the validity of the differences between the subspecies in appearance. Snakes of any one species generally vary in color pattern. All the subspecies have the same markings and color patterns. --Surreal 11:56, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

According to a doctor in Dallas, small/young copperheads deliver more venom per strike than adult copperheads. Adults are smart enough to reserve venom for another strike while young snakes deliver all in first strike. I am new to Wikpedia and am not sure if this information is good enough to put in the main article.

[edit] Conservation status

They're listed as endangered in IA and MA, and as a "species of concern" in NY and NJ. In the majority of their range they're lower concern though. -Dawson 00:20, 23 May 2006 (UTC)

What about Oklahoma?? USer:Mitternacht90

The three subspecies of copperhead that range into OK hold no particular conservation status there. -Dawson 17:48, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

thanks. :) Mitternacht90

Conservation status? What is it? Lower Risk? I heard they're endangered in Iowa. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Mitternacht90 (talk • contribs).

This species doesn't have an overall Conservation Status -- at least not according to the IUCN (that's what that indicator in the taxobox is supposed to reflect). --Jwinius 10:18, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Colors

As with a lot of animals, the color can vary greatly. We have one in the creek below our condo in Charlotte NC that is definitely a Copperhead, but is rather brown in color. Its almost coppery, but seems to be adapted to this area. Using a zoom lens, we see it has the correct eyes.
I heard back in the 1980s something about Copperheads and Blacksnakes mating...and something about how the male/female parent snake determined whether the hybrid offspring are poisonous...Anybody know anything about that? 71.68.62.103 20:56, 7 June 2007 (UTC) Engr105th 20:58, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

Copperheads and black snakes mating? That sounds like folklore to me. On the contrary, according to Campbell & Lamar (2004), black snakes, specificly Coluber constrictor, are known to eat members of the genus Agkistrodon. Beyond that, I've often heard of interspecies hybrids, but never of an intergeneric hybrid... at least not with snakes. This would even be an interfamily hybrid. --Jwinius 01:08, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
I have never heard this specific version before, but similar stories have been circulating since circa the beginning of time. Usually about hybrids between rattlesnakes and various harmless snakes. No doubt many are started by people who see a black racer or a gopher snake rattling it's tail in the leaves and don't realize that's a normal defensive behavior in most snakes. Among other things, copperheads are live-bearers and blacksnakes (racers or rats) are egg-layers. Not much chance of that working. Lfishel 06:18, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Representative photos

Am I the only one that thinks the photo at the top of the page (with the taxonomic info) should be a typical-looking copperhead and not one with a strange (though beautiful) pattern morph? This is the sort of resource non-snake people might use to try and identify a snake they saw in their yard. If the first photo they see doesn't look like it they will just move on and not see the gallery at the bottom. Lfishel 06:18, 28 September 2007 (UTC)