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Copperhead Snake

Population SurveyJune 2006

Brazoria County, Texas

Photos by Marty Cornell

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Copperhead Snake Population Survey

PARTICIPANTS

Marc EalyArea Manager

Nannie M. Stringfellow WMA

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Phil HuxfordMember, Texas Master Naturalists

Cradle of Texas Chapter

Member, Friends of Brazoria

Wildlife Refuges

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Southern Copperhead

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Collection AreaCounty Road 946, Brazoria, Texas

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Collection AreaCounty Road 946, Brazoria, Texas

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Catch from consecutive days, June 2006

6/23 6/24

6/25 6/26 6/27

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Tools for specimen examination

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Examining for evidence of past capture

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Designating Copperhead ID #198

Cloaca Scale 1 Scale 9Scale 8

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Notching ID number in scales

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Coaxing immobilization

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Gotcha!

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Measuring length

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Recording Data

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Typical Data

Snake ID number

Capture date

Length – Head to Cloaca (inches)

Length – Head to Tail

Notes (e.g. RC = Recapture)

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25 Copperhead Snakes at Release

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Reference

Texas Snakes:

A Field Guide(Texas Natural History Guides)

James R. Dixon (Author)

John E. Werler (Author)

Regina Levoy (Illustrator)

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Range

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Comparison

May-

September

March-

November

Observed

activity

Four yearsSeveral years

Length of

study

Two hours/

eveningAll night

Daily search

window

About 1/4 acreEntire Range

Geographic

Area

Ealy-HuxfordDixon-WerlerStudy

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Observations

• Length – adult – up to 27”

• Length shortly after birth – average 11”

• Don’t travel more than 0.5 mile

• Think they’re invisible

• Move slowly

• Strike quickly

• Climb palmettos

• Rarely climb trees (fall off)

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Conclusions

• Both studies (Dixon-Werler and Ealy-

Huxford) produced comparable results.

•• Copperheads are most active at Copperheads are most active at

temperatures temperatures 80o and above.