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Venomous look-alikes
Copperheads vs. young ratsnakes, corn snakes, watersnakes and hognose snakes
How to tell them apart
- Though superficially resembling the venomous copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and often killed as a result of this mistaken identity, the corn snake lacks functional venom and is harmless to humans. Wikipedia ↗
- Corn snakes can sometimes be confused with venomous southern copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix), but the two can be differentiated by the narrower head, lighter coloration, and square-shaped spots that are found in red corn snakes. Animal Diversity Web ↗
- Juvenile milk snakes, which are more reddish than adults, are often killed because they are mistaken for copperheads. Wikipedia ↗
- The corn snake can be distinguished from a copperhead by the corn snake's brighter colors, slender build, slim head, round pupils, and lack of heat-sensing pits. Wikipedia ↗
Venomous
Harmless look-alikes
These get killed all the time because people mistake them for the snakes above. They're harmless to people.
Quotes are word for word from the linked sources. Photo credits and licenses are on each species page. If you're not certain what a snake is, leave it alone.
Questions
How do you tell the Eastern Copperhead from harmless snakes?
Though superficially resembling the venomous copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and often killed as a result of this mistaken identity, the corn snake lacks functional venom and is harmless to humans.