Common Copperhead: Museum Victoria

Identification

The Common (or Eastern) Copperhead, Austrelaps superbus, is variable in colour and pattern, ranging from pale brown to black, with white edging on the scales of the upper lip. It has 15 mid-body scale rows, a single anal scale and single subcaudal scales. Adults are up to 1.7 m long.

Photo of Common or Eastern Copperhead Snake (dark form)

Common or Eastern Copperhead Snake (dark form)
Photographer: Peter Robertson / Source: Wildlife Profiles Pty Ltd

Distribution and habitat

The Common or Eastern Copperhead prefers reasonably damp habitats, near streams or swampy areas. It is common and widespread at lower altitudes throughout southern Victoria.

Biology and bite

It is active day and night and feeds on small vertebrates including frogs, lizards and small mammals. Females give birth to up to 30 live young in mid to late summer.

Copperheads are extremely dangerous and are capable of inflicting fatal bites. However, they are not usually aggressive and bites are uncommon.

If bitten on a limb, apply a pressure bandage, immobilise the limb and seek medical advice immediately. If bitten elsewhere, apply continual direct pressure to the bite site. Do not wash the wound as the venom can confirm identification.

Photo of Common or Eastern Copperhead Snake (tan form)

Common or Eastern Copperhead Snake (tan form)
Photographer: Peter Robertson / Source: Wildlife Profiles Pty Ltd

I would like to positively identify a snake I saw in a park in Mt. Waverley. I thought it was a Red-bellied Black Snake but looking at the top image it could have been a Copperhead. Does the Copperhead flatten its neck when angry, as the Black Snake does?

reply (6)

Hi Greg, a lot of the larger Australian venomous snakes will flatten their heads when threatened, although our snake expert has not seen a copperhead do it. She has seen tiger snakes and eastern brown snakes displaying this behaviour however.

Hi Greg, I am curious to know what sort of snake I saw on a walk in coastal bush just east of Lorne in Victoria. It seemed too dark to be a brown snake like the ones in central Victoria, but I didn't notice any pinkish belly. I only saw about half a metre of its tail end as it crossed our path heading towards a creek.It was a shiny black rather than grey-black, with faint flecks of gold along the edges but no stripes. I wondered if it might be a common copperhead? It was a cool day, only about 20 degrees and the snake was moving fairly slowly.The part of the snake I saw was about an inch in diameter. What do you think?

Catherine - we've forwarded your question to our curator here, and she thinks the most likely candidate would be Common Copperhead. Red-bellied Black Snakes can have very indistinctly coloured or coppery bellies, however, I think that they just wouldn’t be found commonly around Lorne. Other than that we would need a photo for identification. If you are able to get a photo, feel free to forward it to us via the Contact Us link at the bottom of this page

I live in Geelong, not far from the Barwon River, with open paddock across the road. An extremely large snake was seen entering my front garden, which is tanbark mulched and other gardens pea straw mulched. A snake catcher had no success in finding it two hours after the sighting, but suggested would probably be a Copperhead. Are these snakes territorial? Do you feel it continued on its way, or has taken up residence in our large yard?

I just got done hiking in Mount Worth State Park, and in about 3 hours of bush walking we came across 5 different snakes on the path. I almost stepped on 2 of them, but neither of them made any aggressive moves. We came across 1 while coming up a hill, and it seemed to be perched in a defensive manner, but it eventually slithered out of the way. I am new to the area and was curious about what kind of snakes they were. They ranged from about 1m to probably around 1.5m in length. From what I could see, they were a kind of charcoal grey in color and had an orange, almost amber color starting along the sides and extending to the bottom half. At first I thought they must have been red-bellied black snakes, but the first picture on this page looks very similar as well. Any ideas?

Hi Brad, it is very hard to say without an image, our Herpetologist has said it could have been a Copperhead, Alpine Copperhead or Red Bellied Black snake – the latter can be very variable, although in this area it is probably more likely to be a Copperhead. Do be careful as all 3 of these species of snake are considered dangerous. Be careful if you decide to get an image as well, we don't want you to get bitten trying to photograph one.

Just wanted to say i live in Bullengarook and my property is home to many copperheads, and i have seen the flattening of head display in a copperhead when feeling threatened, still did not strike and it retreated quickly. I've had 3 sightings in last 2 weeks, i have a dam and it is swamplike around with plenty of frogs and skinks. Perfect for the copperhead.

hello , I live in the upper yarra valley and have had quite a few sightings of copperheads and tigers on my property.I'm not sure if they are the same snakes I see all the time but they are sighted in the same area most times? I never kill them but do try to shoo them as far away as I can. Last year we got a puppy and chickens so now I am concerned they may get bittern. So today I caught a copperhead and re-located it 10 kms away. My question is ; Are they territorial ? Will there be more copperheads on the property after I have re-located ? If I keep catching and re-locating , can I feel safe to know there will be no more snakes around my property ? And Tigers also , are they the same ? Thanx.

This weekend (Oct. 16) at Snake Valley near Ballarat we saw a juvenile snake (approx .5 metre), very light brown in colour with quite a dark head with a splash of copper. We have copperheads but this one didn't look like any we've seen previously. Could it be an Eastern Brown snake?

I live in Mt Waverely quite close to a large nature reserve. Late yesterday afternoon a snake slithered across my front veranda, then went under a timber side fence and curled up under a large bin in my neighbour's property. My son and I think think it was a common copperhead snake. I called the RSPCA and the Monash Council emergency phone number. Neither provide a 'snake catching' service.

I used to live in Lorne for many years and both myself and my mother have seen very large red bellied black snakes there albeit 40 years ago. lovers of old ricketty fence posts in dry conditions. The particular one I encounntered travelled between my slow stepping slazenger volleys as I was attempting to move a tethered horse it had obviously come from a gutter behind and was going for its nest(the post). It was a very big snake but only concerned with reaching the post before I did. My mother had a similar sighting on the Allenvale golf Course which is no longer in existance.

Common Copperhead Austrelaps superbus

Snakes of Victoria series

Identification

Distribution and habitat

Biology and bite

Further Reading

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