Are there copperheads in Wisconsin?
Short answer
Rare records only1 open record, latest from 1954
Only as rare records. GBIF holds 1 open record of the copperhead from Wisconsin, the latest from 1954, but there is no known population.
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, lives in Wisconsin
- Copperhead vs Corn Snake Corn snake: harmless
- Copperhead vs Rat Snake Rat snake: harmless
- Copperhead vs Milk Snake Milk snake: harmless, lives in Wisconsin
- Timber Rattlesnake vs Copperhead Timber rattlesnake: dangerous, lives in Wisconsin
- Copperhead vs Hognose Snake Eastern hognose snake: harmless, lives in Wisconsin
Questions
Are there copperheads in Wisconsin?
Only as rare records. GBIF holds 1 open record of the copperhead from Wisconsin, the latest from 1954, but there is no known population.
Where are the nearest copperheads to Wisconsin?
In Illinois and Iowa.
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.