Herpetofauna - One Life's List

Southern  Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix

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.  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 found it to hold several Southern Copperheads.  After examining and photographing these beauties, we put them right back under the tin where we found them, and found another snake - we had failed to notice there were two Copperheads under one piece of tin!  Small wonder with their lovely leaf-litter camouflage, and their habit of remaining still and relying on their patterns to hide them.

Humans tend to dump things in the woods, and Copperheads and other snakes will take advantage of it. On our second trip to South Carolina we found a pair of contortrix underneath on old washing machine - a perfect place to wait for rodents and to give birth to young.

 
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