Timber Rattlesnake vs Copperhead

The quick tellBoth have dark bands. A timber rattlesnake has a black tail with a rattle and grows much larger. A copperhead has no rattle and a plain coppery head.

Photo: Peter Paplanus from St. Louis, Missouri, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Timber rattlesnake

Dangerous · Crotalus horridus

Dark V- or chevron-shaped bands across the back
Black tail ending in a rattle
Yellow, tan or dark phases; some are almost black
Southern snakes often have a rusty stripe down the spine

Size: 36–60 in. Habitat: Rocky wooded hillsides in the North, bottomland forest and canebrakes in the South.

Usually calm and slow to strike, but a bite is a medical emergency.

Photo: Peter Paplanus, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Copperhead

Medically significant · 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
Cat-like vertical pupils and a pit between eye and nostril

Size: 24–36 in. Habitat: Wooded hillsides, rocky ridges, wood piles and suburban yards in the East and South.

The venomous snake behind most bites in the eastern US. Bites are painful and need medical care, but deaths are extremely rare.

Where each one lives

Timber rattlesnake only
Copperhead only
Both
Neither

Timber rattlesnake: 31 states. Copperhead: 28 states. Both live in 27 states.

Side by side

	Timber rattlesnake	Copperhead
Danger	Dangerous	Medically significant
Size	36–60 in	24–36 in
States	31	28
Habitat	Rocky wooded hillsides in the North, bottomland forest and canebrakes in the South	Wooded hillsides, rocky ridges, wood piles and suburban yards in the East and South

Questions

How can you tell a timber rattlesnake from a copperhead?

Both have dark bands. A timber rattlesnake has a black tail with a rattle and grows much larger. A copperhead has no rattle and a plain coppery head.

Which one is dangerous?

The timber rattlesnake: dangerous. The copperhead: medically significant. If you are not sure, keep your distance and do not handle it.

Where do both live?

Both live in 27 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.