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Copperhead

Agkistrodon contortrix

Photo by jess.blank
Published on Project Noah
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30.8332, -95.4689

Field Notes

Habitat:

East Texas Pineywoods

Notes:

Caught this little guy (carefully POISONOUS!!) one morning to photograph the crazy yellow tail. After a little research I found out that newborn copperheads have this yellow tail.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (5)

Yes, many pitvipers have a yellow tail as babies to use as a lure to attract prey, they bury their body under some leaves, then stick their tail up and wiggle it around. It looks like a delicious worm to many lizards and frogs, then when the prey comes to eat the "worm", they get eaten by the snake. Very sneaky animals! PS...snakes are venemous, not poisonous. Venom is injected, poison is ingested. Just so you know :)
Very interesting....as a child, growing up in Southeastern Ohio, I often heard that if you "smelled cucumbers" there was a copperhead close by. I just looked up online that "myth"...and found this information: One old tale suggests that a person can tell when a copperhead is nearby because they give off an odor that smells like cucumbers. Fact is, most snakes when handled or frightened release a fluid-like musk from their vent. This is done to discourage predators. This musk has an unpleasant odor and is certainly not a smell that you would want on your salad. :)
Never knew that, thanks for my morning PN lesson. :) Beautiful picture and snake. Thanks for the spotting!

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