

Their coloration is very similar to most Copperheads, with hues of oranges, browns and reds. Distribution: The Banded Water Snake is found as far north as Indiana and as far south as Louisiana, spreading eastward to Florida.Īnother watersnake on the list, the Banded Watersnake is a harmless snake that really tends to resemble the venomous Copperhead.The patterning of the Diamondback Watersnake can resemble the reticulated pattern of the Copperhead. Diamondback Water Snakes will sit on branches overhanging streams and ponds to hunt for fish or other unlucky prey items. The Diamondback Watersnake is commonly found within its range, and as you could probably imagine from the name, they are commonly found near water bodies. Distribution: Central United States to Northern Mexico.Diamondback Water Snake Diamond-backed Water Snake | pondhawk | Flickr | CC BY 2.0 If this defense display doesn’t work, then Hognoses may roll over and play dead!ĥ. When threatened, Hognose snakes may flatter their body, giving them a false-hood, almost like a cobra. Some individuals can share similar coloration with Copperheads and tend to have that banded patterning, much like Copperheads.Įastern Hognoses get their name from their pig-like snout. The Eastern Hognose is technically armed with venom, perfect for subduing small prey items, but they are harmless to humans. You may also like: 15 Examples of Animals With No Legs (Pictures) And from the very southern tip of New Hampshire to Southern Florida, Texas and Kansas Distribution: From east-central Minnesota and Wisconsin all the way to southern Ontario in Canada.Eastern Hognose Eastern Hognose | credit: Hunter Desportes | Flickr | CC BY 2.0 The Eastern Milksnake tends to be more of a brilliant red than the Copperhead, but does share that similar saddleback pattern, leading for some people to misidentify it.Ĥ. The Eastern Milksnake is a docile, harmless snake that just happens to resemble the venomous Copperhead. Distribution: The Eastern milk snake can be found in its northern range from Maine to Canada and in it’s southern range from North Carolina to Alabama.Scientific name: Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum.Eastern Milk Snake image by Peter Paplanus via Flickr | CC BY 2.0 But for those unfamiliar with snakes, a Corn Snake may be indistinguishable to the Copperhead.ģ. This coloration is probably the only thing that makes them look like a Copperhead however, as Corn Snakes have a very different shaped head and body. Distribution: Found through the Southeastern and Central United StatesĬorn Snakes come in several color variations, but one of their color variations of rust colored oranges and reds together can give them a similar appearance to the venomous Copperhead.This is somewhat unfortunate for Common Water Snakes because oftentimes people will kill Copperheads out of fear, which can lead to the unnecessary killing of Common Water Snakes when people misidentify them. Distribution: Common Water Snakes are found near freshwater bodies throughout eastern and central North AmericaĬommon Water Snakes can be found in many of the areas that the Copperhead is found.Common Watersnake Photo by ALAN SCHMIERER via Flickr | Public Domain In any case though, if you believe you’ve found a venomous snake the most important thing you can do is give it distance. In some cases the snake doesn’t even resemble a copperhead, and is still mistaken for one by people who are uninformed. Remember, the worst is usually assumed about a snake. Some of these snakes to make the list may share the patterns, colors, or both with Copperheads which can lead people that are unfamiliar with snakes to misidentify them. 8 snakes commonly mistaken for copperheads In the below list we’ll list some snakes that look like copperheads or are commonly mistaken for copperheads, and often killed because of it. To be honest, many snakes are mistaken for Copperheads simply because they’re snakes. The colors and patterns of Copperheads don’t tend to be unique though and there are actually a handful or so of snakes that can resemble copperheads. In this article we’ll look at some snakes that look at Copperheads. Copperheads tend to have hourglass shaped figures along their back and their scales come in shades of browns, blacks, and rust colored oranges. In fact, they are one of the most common venomous snakes in many states where venomous snakes are found. Copperheads are a venomous pit-viper native to North America.
