There are 37 different snakes in North Carolina. Of these, there are 6 species of venomous snakes. In this article, we will list and describe each venomous snake. We will then tell you where to find them in North Carolina.
- Eastern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
- Northern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
- Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius)
- Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
- Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)
- Eastern Coral (Micrurus fulvius)
Pit Vipers
Rattlesnakes, Copperheads, and Cottonmouths belong to the venomous Crotalinae or pit viper family. Another name for these snakes is pit vipers. Pit vipers have pits between their nostrils and eyes. These are actually specialized heat-sensing pits. They use them to detect body heat from prey animals. Pit organs enable pit vipers to strike their prey precisely, even in the dark. They are also able to detect body heat from up to 1 meter away.
Members of the pit viper family also have a large diamond-shaped head. It is attached to a comparatively slender neck. Furthermore, they have elliptical pupils that are vertical slits. This is a defining characteristic because non-venomous snakes generally have round pupils.
Pit vipers have hollow fangs connected to venom glands. They use their fangs to inject venom into their prey. This venom immobilizes the prey, making it easier for the snake to consume. They primarily consume small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and small birds. These snakes play an important role in maintaining balance in rodent populations.
Eastern Copperhead
| Scientific Name: | Agkistrodon contortrix |
| Description: | Adult copperheads are 20 to 37 inches (50 to 95 cm) long. Their bodies are coppery brown overlayed with dark brown hourglass blotches. |
| Habitat: | Deciduous forests, river bottoms, and rocky wooded hillsides. |
| Conservation Status: | The most common venomous snake in North Carolina. |
The Copperhead population in North Carolina was formerly divided into two subspecies. These were the Northern Copperhead and Southern Copperhead. However, DNA analysis shows little genetic difference between the two. Today the former Northern Copperhead, Southern Copperhead, and Osage Copperhead are taxonomically combined. The common name for these snakes is Eastern Copperhead. Their scientific name is Agkistrodon contortrix. Source
The Eastern Copperhead is a pit viper native to the eastern United States.
Copperheads are stout heavy-bodied snakes. Adult copperheads are 20 to 37 inches (50 to 95 cm) long.
Eastern Copperhead snakes have reddish-tan to grayish-tan bodies. Their bodies are overlaid with hourglass-shaped dark brown markings. Their triangular heads are proportionately large. The color of their head is dark coppery brown. This is the reason they have the name “Copperhead.”
Where Do Eastern Copperheads Live in North Carolina?
Eastern Copperheads are found throughout the state of North Carolina. They inhabit deciduous forests, evergreen forests, river bottoms, and rocky wooded hillsides.
Eastern Copperhead Behavior
Copperheads are dangerous because they use camouflage as their number one defense mechanism. In other words, these snakes choose to lie perfectly still rather than flee most of the time. Their camouflage helps them blend in with leaf litter and other ground debris.
When they feel threatened, they occasionally mimic the tail vibration of a rattlesnake. But, in most cases, they choose to lie perfectly still.
Most copperhead bites on humans occur when the person steps on or near the snake.
Wintertime Brumation
Snakes do not tolerate the cold weather in the winter months very well. They are ectotherms, which means they can not regulate their body temperature internally. Physiologically, ectotherms cannot hibernate. Yet, they go into a state of suspended animation called brumation for up to 6 months out of the year.
Copperheads winter underneath rocks, in hollow logs, and in fissures on rocky hillsides. An individual might brumate alone in some parts of their range. But copperheads tend to be social. In some areas, they congregate together in dens with other snakes through the winter.
In hilly terrain, south-facing slopes capture more radiant warmth from the sun. So, that is where these dens are generally located. The other snakes they den with are not necessarily just copperheads. Sometimes, they share their dens with other species of snakes. You may find a Timber Rattler, a Black Rat Snake, or an Eastern Black Racer sharing the same den with copperheads. These wintertime dens may hold up to 60 snakes.
What Do Copperheads Eat?
Copperhead snakes are opportunistic feeders. They eat insects, spiders, frogs, small animals, birds, and other reptiles.
How Dangerous Are Copperheads?
A Copperhead can bite and inject venom from the time they are newly born. Like most pit vipers, they have hemotoxic venom.
Most copperhead bites are not life-threatening. On the other hand, any bite from this snake is a medical emergency and should be treated as such. Prompt medical attention increases the chance of a good outcome.
Copperhead bites can cause intense pain, shock, and swelling. Their bites also have the potential to cause blood in urine, tissue damage, and kidney failure.
An interesting study has found that Copperhead venom contains a protein called contortrostatin. Contortrostatin has been found to stop the growth of cancer cells in mice.
Northern Cottonmouth
| Scientific Name: | Agkistrodon piscivorus |
| Description: | Northern Cottonmouth snakes are stout, muscular snakes that grow up to 3 feet (.91m) long. They have a dark body with few markings. Their mouth is white. |
| Habitat: | They favor wet habitats such as swamps, drainage ditches, slow-moving rivers, and lakes. |
| Conservation Status: | Listed as Species of Least Concern in North Carolina. |
Another common name for the Northern Cottonmouth snake is water moccasin. These are stout, muscular snakes that grow up to 3 feet (.91m) long. They look a little bit like rattlesnakes without the rattle on the tail. Sometimes, a cottonmouth is mistaken for a Northern Water Snake. This could be a dangerous mistake.
The Northern Cottonmouth has a dark brown to black body with few markings. The inside of their mouth is white, hence the name “cottonmouth.” When threatened, they will pose with their mouth open. They have cat-like pupils, which appear as narrow slits in the day, and at night, they have a round appearance.
The juvenile cottonmouth has a more clearly defined pattern than adults. Their patterning resembles that of a copperhead snake. They have darker bands, though, that widen toward the belly and narrow at the back.
Where Do Northern Cottonmouths Live in North Carolina?
These snakes are found throughout eastern North Carolina. Look for them along the coastal plain and in the Piedmont region.
They are semi-aquatic snakes. They favor wet habitats such as swamps, drainage ditches, slow-moving rivers, and lakes. They commonly sun themselves on rocks or logs at the water’s edge. Cottonmouths sometimes venture overland. It’s not unheard of to see one far from any aquatic environment. See
What Do Northern Cottonmouths Eat?
These snakes prey on fish, freshwater crustaceans, amphibians, small mammals, and other reptiles. Cottonmouths sometimes congregate around drying wetland pools to feed on any trapped fish. They can hold their breath underwater for up to an hour while hunting for prey.
How Dangerous Are Northern Cottonmouths?
Cottonmouth snake venom is cytotoxic. This means it destroys body tissue. Northern Cottonmouth bites sometimes lead to the amputation of limbs. On rare occasions, death can occur. See
Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake
| Scientific Name: | Sistrurus m. miliarius |
| Description: | Adults are 16 and 25 inches (41 to 64cm) long. Their bodies are gray with dark-colored splotches. They have a rust-colored stripe down their backs. |
| Habitat: | They favor sandhills, mixed forests, floodplains, marshes, and borders of cypress ponds. |
| Conservation Status: | Endangered Species in North Carolina. |
The Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake is the smallest rattlesnake in the United States. They grow in length between 16 and 25 inches (41 to 64cm). They are slender-tailed snakes with tiny rattles. Their body is light gray with a rust-colored vertical stripe, which may be absent in some Pigmies. They have a series of dark-colored blotches along their top and sides. Their cream-colored bellies are frequently mottled. They have a distinct, dark stripe that leads from the corner of their mouth to their eye. Their tiny rattle emits a faint buzz like a grasshopper’s. You can only hear it from a few feet away.
This snake has some other common names. They are Pigmy Rattlesnake, Ground Rattlesnake, and Hog-nosed rattlesnake.
Where Do Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnakes Live in North Carolina?
In North Carolina, they live along the southeastern Coastal Plain region and the Sandhills.
They favor sandhills, mixed forests, floodplains, marshes, and borders of cypress ponds. These snakes are rarely found in extremely dry habitats.
How Dangerous Are Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnakes?
Carolina Pygmy rattlesnakes have cytotoxic venom. By definition, cytotoxic venom destroys the body’s cells. Luckily, these snakes produce a small venom yield. A Pygmy Rattlesnake bite is unlikely to be fatal. But any bite victim should still receive prompt medical attention.
Timber Rattlesnake
| Scientific Name: | Crotalus horridus |
| Description: | Adult Timber Rattlesnakes grow between 36 and 60 inches (.91 to 1.52m) long. Their bodies are yellowish-brown with a dark chevron pattern. They also have a rusty stripe down their backs. Their tails are dark brown or black. |
| Habitat: | Timber Rattlesnakes prefer wooded areas and hillsides with rocky outcroppings. |
| Conservation Status: | Endangered Species in North Carolina. |
Timber Rattler and Canebrake Rattlesnake are both common names for the Timber Rattlesnake. Generally, in highland habitats, they are called Timber Rattlesnakes. In lower elevations, such as the coastal plain, they’re called Canebrake Rattlesnakes.
The average Timber Rattlesnake grows between 36 to 60 inches (.91 to 1.52m) long. However, there have been reports of them growing up to 7 feet (2.13m) long. See
These snakes vary in color. Their general base coloration is a yellowish-brown to grey-brown, though. They have a dark brown to black chevron pattern on their back and sides against a lighter base color. Moreover, they have a rusty to reddish stripe down their backs. Their tails are dark brown or black with a tan rattle. There are also melanistic timber rattlers. These are dark and sometimes almost entirely black. In the dark color morph of these snakes, the tail is also darker than the rest of the snake’s body.
Where Do Timber Rattlesnakes Live in North Carolina?
The Timber Rattlesnake lives in various habitats. These include deciduous forests, pine forests, swamps, farm fields, and river floodplains. These snakes are marvelous climbers and have been found in trees at heights of more than 80 feet. Source
In North Carolina, you will find these snakes throughout the state.
What Do Timber Rattlesnakes Eat?
Timber rattlers prey on small mammals such as mice, rats, squirrels, and chipmunks. They also eat small birds, other reptiles, and amphibians.
These snakes are excellent climbers. In fact, timber rattlers have been found in trees at heights of more than 80 feet. Source
The experts have proven that timber rattlesnakes help control Lyme disease. This is because as they consume rodents, they’re also consuming ticks. A timber rattler will consume 2,500 to 4,500 ticks per year, depending on the location. See
Wintertime Brumation
As we discussed in the section on copperheads, snakes brumate in the winter. Brumation is a reptile’s version of hibernation.
Timber Rattlesnakes make wintertime dens in sheltered spots. They den underneath rocks and logs, as well as in fissures in rocky hillsides. An individual Timber Rattler might brumate alone in some parts of their range. But in other areas, they congregate in dens with other snakes through the winter.
Dens are usually placed on slopes facing south because they get more warmth from the sun. They don’t always share their dens only with Timber Rattlers. Sometimes, they share their dens with other species of snakes. These might include Copperheads, Black Rat Snakes, and Eastern Black Racers. These wintertime dens may hold up to 60 snakes. Source
How Dangerous Are Timber Rattlesnakes?
Timber Rattlesnakes are among the most dangerous snakes in North America. This is due to their long fangs and high venom yield. 1% to 10% of untreated Timber Rattlesnake bites result in a fatality.
Fortunately, 40% to 60% of the time, they produce dry bites. In other words, although their fangs penetrate the body, they do not inject any venom. Source
These snakes produce hemotoxic venom. Timber Rattlesnake bites sometimes cause serious complications. These include shock, seizures, coma, internal bleeding, and deep tissue damage. Source
Also, see: Wild Cats in North Carolina – Krebs Creek
Wild Cats in South Carolina – Krebs Creek
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
| Scientific Name: | Crotalus adamanteus |
| Description: | Eastern Diamondback grows 3 to 6 feet (.91 to 1.83m) long. Their color is brownish-yellow, brownish-gray, or olive green. A brownish-black diamond-shaped pattern runs down their backs. |
| Habitat: | They prefer coastal forests, scrublands, and pine/wiregrass Flatwoods. |
| Conservation Status: | Endangered Species in North Carolina. |
The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is indigenous to the southeastern United States. They are also referred to as the Eastern Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake. People also call it the eastern diamond rattlesnake.
The Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake is also the largest rattlesnake in the United States. These snakes average anywhere between 3 to 6 feet (.91 to 1.83m) long. Amazingly, though, the largest eastern diamondbacks reach 8 feet in length. In terms of weight, they average anywhere between 5 and 10 pounds (2.27 to 4.54 kg).
Their base coloring varies between brownish-yellow, brownish-gray, or olive green. A brownish-black diamond-shaped pattern runs down their backs. Each of these diamond-shaped blotches is lined with a row of cream-colored scales. Towards the end of the snake next to the tail, these blotches turn into crossbands. Their bellies are a cream color with dark mottling along the sides.
A black band extends from behind each of the snake’s eyes and down toward the mouth. The band is outlined with white bands on either side.
Where Do Eastern Diamondbacks Live in North Carolina?
The Eastern Diamondback is found in the southeastern part of the state of North Carolina. They are very rare and are listed as endangered.
They prefer coastal forests, scrublands, and pine and wiregrass flatwoods. They can be found in moist areas such as wet prairies, savannas, and around wetland borders. These snakes are proficient swimmers. It’s not uncommon for them to swim between barrier reefs and along swamp edges. Source
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Behavior
Eastern Diamondbacks shelter in gopher, tortoise, and armadillo burrows. They emerge early in the morning or afternoon to bask in the sun. Occasionally, these snakes climb into bushes and trees, hunting for prey. Some have been spotted as high as 33 feet off the ground. Source
How Dangerous Are Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes?
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes have powerful hemotoxic venom. In fact, they kill more people than any other venomous snake in the United States. Source
Eastern Diamondback bites cause severe pain, edema, headache, nausea, dizziness, and convulsions. Their hemotoxic venom impairs blood coagulation. This may lead to severe internal bleeding, which may lead to kidney damage. Source.
Eastern Coral Snake
| Scientific Name: | Micrurus fulvius |
| Description: | Eastern Coral snakes can grow up to 4 feet long(122 cm), but most grow to 2 feet (61 cm). They have black, light yellow, and red bands. |
| Habitat: | They live in dry, open, bushy areas, hardwood forests, and pine flatwoods. |
| Conservation Status: | Endangered Species in North Carolina. |
The Eastern Coral Snake can grow up to 4 feet long(122 cm), but most grow to 2 feet (61 cm). They are sexually dimorphic, with the males being slightly smaller than the females. They have rounded heads and noses with similar-looking tails. Consequently, it is sometimes hard to tell a coral snake’s head from its tail.
Coral snakes are brightly colored, highly venomous snakes. They have red, light yellow, and black bands, with the yellow bands separating the red and black.
Where Do Eastern Coral Snakes Live in North Carolina?
These snakes are found in southeastern North Carolina. Look for them in the sandhills and along the coastal plains region. It is very rare to come across an Eastern Coral snake. They are listed as an endangered species in North Carolina.
Batesian Mimicry Of Coral Snakes
Batesian mimicry is a biological term. It describes how a harmless species protects itself by resembling a dangerous one. For example, the scarlet kingsnake and the eastern milk snake are nonvenomous snakes. However, their color patterns closely resemble the venomous coral snake. The difference is that a coral snake’s red and yellow bands touch. On the other hand, the nonvenomous species’ color patterns are red, black, and yellow. Also, a coral snake’s head is blunt and entirely black, even behind its eyes, while a Kingsnake’s head is red.
This rhyme helps people distinguish between a nonvenomous species and a coral snake. “Red and yellow can kill a fellow; Red touches black, a friend of Jack.”
The rhyme is mostly accurate in the United States. However, coral snakes from areas south of the U. S. do not always follow the black-yellow-red pattern. This is also true in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Finally, there are rare coral snakes that do not follow the usual color pattern in the United States. Pink, cream-colored, light blue, and completely black coral snakes exist in the wild.
What Do Eastern Coral Snakes Eat?
Eastern Coral Snakes primarily prey on other snakes. They also feed on small rodents, amphibians, and insects.
How Dangerous Are Coral Snakes?
Coral snakes have powerful venom with neurotoxic properties. In fact, herpetologists regard them as the most venomous snake in the United States. Fortunately, they almost never bite.
Coral snake venom is a neurotoxin and is the second strongest of any snake. The experts consider coral snakes to be less dangerous than rattlesnakes, though. Their smaller mouths and short fangs produce less venom. Thus, they have a less effective venom delivery system.
People should take coral snake bites seriously, though. Before we had antivenom, the death rate after coral snake envenomation was around 10%. See
A coral snake bite only causes mild swelling at the bite site. Furthermore, the effects of the venom may take up to 12 hours to set in. Some of the more serious effects of coral snake venom are listed below.
Potential effects of coral snake envenomation include:
- muscle weakness
- difficulty speaking
- difficulty swallowing
- difficulty breathing
- Inability to move eyelids
- blurred vision
- twitching of the tongue
- paralysis
- respiratory failure
One reported death has been caused by an Eastern Coral Snake bite in the last 40 years. Source
Symptoms of Venomous Snake Bites
Some of the symptoms you may experience when a venomous snake bites you include:
- Discoloration in the area of the bite.
- Swelling in the area of the bite.
- Loss of muscle coordination.
- Tingling sensation in the area of the bite.
- Feeling nauseous.
- Having a faster heartbeat or rapid pulse.
What Should You Do if You Are Bitten?
If you or someone you are with has suffered a venomous snakebite, time is of the essence. Because the sooner a victim receives antivenom, the less chance the venom in their body has to cause harm. In other words, it is important to seek immediate medical treatment.
Do not attempt to kill the snake for identification purposes. This gives the snake a chance to bite you again. Also, consider that severed snakeheads can still bite and envenomate and often do. If you have a phone, take a picture of the offending reptile. Otherwise, get started on your way to the nearest hospital.
First Aid for Snake Bite Victims
- Remain calm and limit your movements. Do not run. If you must hike back to a vehicle, do it calmly and deliberately. Put as little stress on your heart as possible.
- Keep the area of the snake bite below the heart level and never above the heart level. Keeping the bite below the heart level will reduce the venom’s flow. However, holding the bite above your heart level will increase the venom’s flow.
- Remove all constricting items such as bracelets, watches, or rings before swelling occurs.
- Remember that using a cold compress on a venomous snake bite is not advisable. The cold may cause the local blood vessels to constrict and spread the venom faster.
- You can wash the affected area like any other wound with soap and water.
- You may cover the bite area with a moist dressing to reduce the swelling.
- Get medical attention as soon as possible. Call the hospital to tell them a venomous snake has bitten you. So they can have antivenom ready to give you when you arrive.
- A person whom a venomous snake has bitten may go into shock. If this happens, lay them flat and cover them with a blanket.
Dressing for Snake Country
- High-top leather boots and long pants are both wise ideas.
- Also, wear loose-fitting denim. If there’s a gap before the snake’s fangs touch your skin, your chances of being envenomated are lower.
- In the absence of high-top leather boots, some people wear snake gaiters.
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