Agkistrodon laticinctus

Agkistrodon laticinctus, commonly known as the broad-banded copperhead, is a venomous pit viper species, formerly considered a subspecies of Agkistrodon contortrix, which is found in the central United States, from Kansas, through Oklahoma and throughout central Texas.

Agkistrodon laticinctus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Agkistrodon
Species:	A. laticinctus
Binomial name
Agkistrodon laticinctus Gloyd & Conant, 1934
Synonyms
Agkistrodon mokasen laticinctus Gloyd & Conant, 1934 Agkistrodon mokeson laticinctus – Gloyd & Conant, 1943 Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus – Klauber, 1948 Ancistrodon contortrix laticinctus – Schmidt, 1953

Description

Head of a broad-banded copperhead (Agkistrodon laticinctus)

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 eastern copperhead, eastern copperhead (A. contortrix) in the southern 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 even bands. 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 copperhead 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, frogs, 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. 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

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  Broad-banded copperhead
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  Broad-banded copperhead (Agkistrodon laticinctus)
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  Closeup of a Broad-banded copperhead (Agkistrodon laticinctus)
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  Belly or ventral view of a Broad-banded copperhead (Agkistrodon laticinctus)
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  A juvenile Agkistrodon laticinctus with yellow tail
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  Broad-banded copperhead (Agkistrodon laticinctus)
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  A broad-banded copperhead at Dinosaur Valley State Park, Somervell Co., Texas (10 October 2020)
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  Agkistrodon laticinctus photographed at the Hellabrunn Zoo, Múnich, Germany

External links

• Agkistrodon contortrix at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 7 December 2007.
• Agkistrodon contortrix at University of Texas. Accessed 7 December 2007.
• Agkistrodon at Department of Biology, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA70402. Accessed 15 June 2021.