Tell them apart
Eastern Copperhead vs. Great Plains Ratsnake
It matters: the Eastern Copperhead is venomous, while the Great Plains Ratsnake is harmless.
Eastern Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
Venomous
- Family
- Viperidae
- Group
- Copperhead
- Size
- Usually 2–4 ft, heavy-bodied.
- Identify
- Heavy body, triangular head, vertical pupils, and a heat-sensing pit between each eye and nostril.
Great Plains Ratsnake
Pantherophis emoryi
Harmless
- Family
- Colubridae
- Group
- Ratsnake
- Size
- 3–6 ft — among the largest U.S. snakes.
- Identify
- Long-bodied with weakly keeled scales; blotched, striped, or solid depending on species.
How to tell them apart
Often confused with the venomous copperhead, but this snake is harmless, with round pupils and no facial pit.
Never rely on a single feature to judge a live snake. If you cannot positively identify it, keep your distance. Informational only.