Are there copperheads in Illinois?
Short answer
Yes
Yes. The copperhead lives in Illinois. Open records come from 10 counties.

Where in Illinois
- 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, lives in Illinois
- Copperhead vs Northern Water Snake Northern water snake: harmless, lives in Illinois
- Copperhead vs Corn Snake Corn snake: harmless, lives in Illinois
- Copperhead vs Rat Snake Rat snake: harmless, lives in Illinois
- Copperhead vs Milk Snake Milk snake: harmless, lives in Illinois
- Timber Rattlesnake vs Copperhead Timber rattlesnake: dangerous, lives in Illinois
- Copperhead vs Hognose Snake Eastern hognose snake: harmless, lives in Illinois
Questions
Are there copperheads in Illinois?
Yes. The copperhead lives in Illinois. Open records come from 10 counties.
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.