Copperheads
Agkistrodon contortrix ssp.

Copperheads, along with Cottonmouths or "water moccasins", belong to the genus Agkistrodon, and may sometimes be referred to as "highland moccasins". Currently there are five subspecies of copperheads recognized: the Northern copperhead (A. contortrix mokasen), the Southern copperhead (A. contortrix contortrix), the Osage copperhead (A. contortrix phaeogaster), the Broad-banded copperhead (A. contortrix laticinctus), and the Trans-Pecos copperhead (A. contortrix pictigaster). The members of the Agkistrodon genus all have the facial pits characteristic to pit vipers. In general, these snakes are pinkish to gray-brown with orange, copper or rusty colored heads and saddle-shaped bands along the body. These bands are often broader along the sides and narrow on top sometimes giving them the appearance of a folded over hourglass. Occasionally, small dark spots may be seen in the light-colored spaces between the banded areas. The tail is yellow, brown, or greenish in color. The belly is often pink or cream colored with dark spots along the sides. The scales of these snakes are keeled, giving them a slight rough and dull appearance as opposed to a smooth and shiny one. Copperheads average 24 to 45 inches in length as adults.
Rocky-creviced wooded hillsides and mountainous areas are favorable habitats for copperheads as well as abandoned areas such as old farms or areas near wet woodlands or swamps. These snakes tend to congregate with each other as well as other species of snakes, such as black rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta), in communal dens during the autumn to prepare for winter hibernation.
Copperheads often reach sexual maturity around the age of three years. It is suspected that a high percentage of females may only breed every other year in the wild rather than every year. Females give live birth often during August and September, though some may give birth as early as July or as late as October and November. A female may give birth to anywhere from one to twenty-one young, but the average size of broods is four to eight young. Young copperheads average 7.5-10 inches in length. The young snakes normally have yellow tails, which act as lures for small prey. They also possess fully functional fangs capable of delivering venom.
Copperheads are primarily mouse eaters, but are also known to take small birds, lizards, snakes, amphibians, and insects, especially cicadas. These snakes tend to be active during the day although, during hot summer months, they may switch to crepuscular (dawn/dusk) or nocturnal activities.
The natural camouflage of these snakes render them fairly inconspicuous and, combined with their normally quiet and lethargic behavior, very easily lead to the unobservant hiker getting bitten by stepping on the snake or placing their hands next to them. Sometimes, if a snake sees someone coming first, or feels them approach by sensing the ground vibrations, they may get out of the way without the person ever having known they were there. Another way they protect themselves is by attempting to alert the unwary of their presence by rapidly vibrating their tail amongst the leaf litter, creating a buzzing or rattling sound.
Copperheads are not overtly aggressive and tend to bite only in self-defense. These snakes, however, are responsible for many bites each year, but death from such bites is nearly nonexistent. Most likely, bite victims who are very young, very old or who have pre-existing health conditions may react more severely to the venom and so have a greater need to worry about coming into contact with these snakes. Symptoms resulting from copperhead envenomation (some bites are "dry," meaning no venom is actually injected) may include the following: pain, swelling, weakness, breathing difficulty, hemorrhaging, rapid or weak pulse, nausea and vomiting, gangrene, fever, sweating, headache, unconsciousness or stupor, hypertension, low blood pressure, and ecchymosis.
In the winter, the snake's natural instinct to hibernate may be strong enough to override their desire to eat even when the enclosure's environmental conditions have not been changed. This is especially true of wild-caught specimens. A healthy snake that continues to take in fluids, remains moderately active or alert, but is otherwise not losing any significant amounts of weight or body mass has little to worry about and can often safely ride out a four month fast.
The sick or very young are likely to be the ones who might experience problems during an extended fast and efforts should be taken to correct the situation. Foremost would be to reevaluate the environmental and psychological conditions that the snake is kept under and make any necessary corrections. A physical checkup, including fecal testing by a veterinarian experienced in handling venomous snakes, may also be necessary especially if the snake is wild-caught. Wild snakes often harbor some parasites, which increase in captivity, often leading to non-feeding behavior when the parasite load gets out of hand.
Experimenting with more than one food type or how the food is presented is usually successful in getting a non-feeding animal to start accepting food. As with non-venomous snakes, force-feeding should only be done as a last resort when all else fails. When dealing with venomous snakes, it is even more important to ensure that only those individuals who are trained and experienced in handling venomous snakes attempt force-feeding of the animal and that all necessary safety precautions are taken.
Under favorable conditions these snakes have the potential of living upwards of thirty years.
If you are considering keeping these or any type of venomous snake, please keep in mind that carelessness on your part will not only endanger your life, but the lives of others. The keeping of venomous snakes is only for the highly experienced and not for amateur snake keeper. It takes but one simple mistake to wind up nailed by a "hot" snake that may result in death or permanent injury.
Venomous snakes are not toys to be played with under any circumstance. A responsible venomous snake keeper never handles a hot snake unless it is absolutely necessary. A responsible keeper also would not handle them for any reason without the proper training and equipment. To help prevent a possible disaster, plan everything out ahead of time when there is a clear unavoidable need for maneuvering a hot snake outside of its enclosure. This includes having another person nearby who is trained to assist in the handling of venomous reptiles or, in the case of a bite, who can summon emergency medical services.
Copperheads do well in enclosures that are the equivalent of 30-55 gallon aquarium tanks, however, stringent safety features and/or modifications to any enclosures that house hot snakes are a must. Snakes should be housed individually to reduce the risk of accidental bites to the keeper. Some important features to keep in mind are: solid cage infrastructure, securely locking tops and hide boxes, snug fitting cage dividers, and brightly colored danger signs. Each enclosure must have a clear label as to the type of snake housed within it along with the proper scientific name for the snake.
Assuming it is legal to keep venomous snakes in your area, a list of hospitals in the region that carry the appropriate antivenins as well as emergency procedures should be kept handy and posted in clear view in the room where the snake is housed. This is especially helpful should you become incapacitated and someone else must see to your emergency care.

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Wow, great care sheet, you write all of it?

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i stole it but it's not copy writed and no author.. i liked it so i posted it.

are we allowed to do that?

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No reason why not !!

Thanks for that anyway !!