Babies can be more grayish or brownish in color, but are easily identified by their bright yellow or green tail tip, which they use to attract prey.

Copperhead markings can be variable but are generally hourglass-shaped, with the narrowest part being along the spine. Their markings and brown to orange coloration help them blend in with the forest floor, where they spend the majority of their time. Unlike the watersnakes for which they are frequently mistaken, they have a pale-colored upper lip that is visible from quite a distance away (as seen below), while watersnakes have a barred or dark-colored upper lip.

When encountered, copperheads tend to remain motionless, relying on their excellent camouflage to escape detection. Because of this, many bites happen when a person unknowingly steps on them or accidentally grabs them while working in the garden – further fueling the fear of this species, as the bites seem to “come out of nowhere”. In Ohio, copperheads are now only found in a few counties of unglaciated southeast Ohio.

Fun fact: an enzyme in copperhead venom is being used to shrink breast cancer tumors, and two common blood pressure medications were derived from the venom of a distantly related Bothrops viper.

2. Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus)

This beautiful little rattlesnake rarely exceeds two feet in length, and is extremely rare and declining in Ohio due to habitat loss. This shy species is often the target of illegal collection and poaching in some of our protected nature preserves, the last places in Ohio where it can still be found.

Its name is a Chippewa word that means “great river mouth”, possibly referencing the habitat in which they were once found. Today they are found in poorly drained wetland habitats adjacent to upland prairie – both of which are also rare and declining in Ohio. The conservation of this species is complex, as they depend on several habitat types throughout their life cycle. They spend the winter in crayfish burrows.

It is reluctant to rattle, and the sound is a dry, high-pitched buzz that is difficult to distinguish from the grasshoppers with which it shares its habitat. It feeds on almost entirely on small mammals, although they occasionally consume amphibians and other reptiles, particularly as juveniles.

3. Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

The timber rattlesnake is the heaviest snake in Ohio, and they can approach 4 feet in length. This stout-bodied rattlesnake can be quite beautiful and has a distinctive pattern of dark-colored chevrons or triangles on a background ranging from dark brown to golden, like the individual below. Some timbers can be almost completely black.

The typical Timber can be found curled up adjacent to logs on the forest floor during the summer months, waiting for their rodent prey to scurry by. Like the copperhead, it relies on camouflage to escape detection, and may not rattle when encountered.

Even when disturbed this very mild-mannered snake will attempt to escape rather than stand its ground. I encountered the lovely individual at right on a dirt road in rural Pennsylvania, and it never rattled - even when I moved it off the road with my trekking poles.

In the northern parts of their range, Timbers spend the winter in rocky dens along the high ridges of the Appalachians. Female snakes give live birth in late summer and guard their young from predators for the first two weeks of their life, and may even “babysit” the young of other timbers.

Timbers avoid human settlements and are most often found in wooded habitats of unglaciated Ohio, and populations are declining due to habitat loss and direct persecution by humans.

Closing Thoughts and Other Resources

Snakes are arguably the most maligned vertebrate in Western culture. When was the last time you read a story or watched a film with a snake in it, and the snake was not portrayed as a villain? Check out this list of snake appearances in films. What proportion of these films portray a snake favorably, or even just neutrally? From the Serpent in the Bible, to Kaa of the Jungle Book, to Nagini in Harry Potter, it seems that we love to hate snakes. Why is that?

If you are afraid of snakes or you hate them, take some time to consider why that might be. Perhaps you had a parent, grandparent, or close family friend who insisted on killing snakes on their property. Perhaps your sibling or friend used to catch them and scare you with them. Or perhaps they are just “creepy” to you and you don't know why.

Whatever the reason, a little education goes a long way in dispelling those fears and creepy feelings. If you're on Facebook, I urge you to join the Snake Identification group. This group is for the urgent ID of wild (not captive) snakes. Many people have said that joining the group helped them not only learn to ID snakes, but to get over their fear too! For general questions and discussion of wild snake topics, I also recommend the LIVE Snake Education and Discussion group.

Other Useful Infographics and Guides:

The Ohio Department of Wildlife’s Reptiles of Ohio Field Guide
Brittany LeBold’s Mistaken Identity infographic
Dr. Zoltan Takacs’s venom research and table of venom-based medicines

Happy Spring!