Are there copperheads in California?
Short answer
No
No. GBIF holds 1 isolated record of the copperhead from California, far from its range. That is most likely a captive animal or a mislabeled record.
Where the records come from
- None
- 1 to 2 records
- 3 to 9
- 10 to 49
- 50 or more
Copperheads across the US
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
How to recognize one
Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix
- Copper to tan body with dark hourglass bands: wide on the sides, narrow on the spine
- Plain coppery head with no pattern
- Young snakes have a bright yellow-green tail tip
Medically significant. The venomous snake behind most bites in the eastern US. Bites are painful and need medical care, but deaths are extremely rare.
Often mistaken for copperheads
- Copperhead vs Cottonmouth Cottonmouth: dangerous
- Copperhead vs Northern Water Snake Northern water snake: harmless
- Copperhead vs Corn Snake Corn snake: harmless
- Copperhead vs Rat Snake Rat snake: harmless
- Copperhead vs Milk Snake Milk snake: harmless
- Timber Rattlesnake vs Copperhead Timber rattlesnake: dangerous
- Copperhead vs Hognose Snake Eastern hognose snake: harmless
Questions
Are there copperheads in California?
No. GBIF holds 1 isolated record of the copperhead from California, far from its range. That is most likely a captive animal or a mislabeled record.
Where are the nearest copperheads to California?
In Oklahoma and Texas.
What do copperheads look like?
Copper to tan body with dark hourglass bands: wide on the sides, narrow on the spine. Plain coppery head with no pattern. Young snakes have a bright yellow-green tail tip.