Rattle Snakes

• Easy to identify since they have triangle-shaped heads, large bodies and a rattle at the tip of the tale.
• Their sizes range from 1 – 8 feet, depending on the breed.
• They can be found in forests, deserts, swamps and grasslands.
• Rattlesnakes have heat sensing organs located in the pits of their eyes. This helps them "see" their prey even in complete darkness.
• Rattlesnakes can be found almost anywhere in the United States, especially in the southwest.

Copper Heads

• Copperhead snakes usually have an unmarked copper-colored head, reddish-brown, coppery bodies with chestnut brown hourglass crossbands².
• The average size of a copperhead snake is 30 inches.
• They can be found on the east coast of the Unites States and in mid-southern states as well.
• Copperheads have heat sensing organs located between their eye and on each side of their head.

Cottonmouths/Water Moccasins

• Cottonmouth snakes have large, triangular heads with a dark line through their eyes, elliptical pupils and large jowls (cheek) due to the venom glands³.
• Their sizes range from 24 - 48 inches.
• They can be found in the southeast, north to southeastern Virgina. Since they are semi-aquatic, they can be found near swamps, rivers, and wetlands. They can also be found around drying pools as well.

Coral Snakes

• The most common type of coral snake is identified by the red, yellow and black band pattern. However, not all coral snakes have the same colors. The head is always black, regardless of the region.
• Their sizes range from 18 - 20 inches.
• The Eastern Coral snakes are more common the Western Coral snakes. They prefer marshy, wooded areas where they can hide.
• The venom in coral snakes is considered neurotoxic. This means that it'll affect the way that the way that the brain communicates with muscles, slurring speech, affecting movement and ultimately ceasing cardiac and respiratory function⁴.