Talk:Fauna of West Virginia

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Which species of copperhead lives in West Virginia? Agkistrodon contortrix? Both Agkistrodon contortrix and Agkistrodon piscivorus? --Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason 20:33, 30 August 2008 (UTC)

Northern Copperhead-- Agkistrodon contortrix

They can measure to 36 inches (91.4 cm), sometimes, rarily longer. They range from coppery orange or reddish-brown. hourglass-shaped crossbands lapping over the back to the belly. And between the eyes & nose, there is a pit or dimple-like. Their belly is pale, kind of skin toned, maybe, wish suttle speckles of grayish-- dark blotches. After hibernation in April or May they breed. Their young often has a short area of yellowish on the tail. They are more often found on the south side south or southwest slopes of creek banks with out crops of rock or stone piles on river banks used for errosion control and hill sunny-sides both rosky and forested hill. They are found along sunny rockier meadows or fallen timber to which to sun bath and burrow nests. These copperheads are found in most all counties, more so in the rolling hill counties. They are less likely found on the upper highland mountainous counties except in many of the valley's or gorges that is sunny. This area is more to the tember rattler.

Family: Colubridae includes: Queen Snake, Common Watersnake, Northern Brownsnake, Northern Red-bellied Snake, Common Ribbonsnake, Eastern Gartersnake, Eastern Smooth Earthsnake, Mountain Earthsnake, Eastern Hog-nosed Snake, Northern Ring-necked Snake, Eastern Wormsnake, Northern Black Racer, Rough Greensnake, Smooth Greensnake, Cornsnake, Black Ratsnake, Northern Pinesnake, Eastern Kingsnake, Black Kingsnake and Eastern Milksnake

Family: Viperidae includes: Northern Copperhead & Timber Rattlesnake. Conaughy (talk) 23:22, 30 August 2008 (UTC)

Some five decades ago, in Scouting, I recall one of our state's DNR bio-guys saying something about he saw some crossing with a moccosin which are also found along the dry rockier-dryer creek banks. I don't recall if these are non-poison black water snake we used to see being a true moccasin or not. Maybe this needs researched by calling one of the DNR officers at the station up the road. There is a water snake sometimes seen in our south western larger streams. Maybe it came up here on a river barge as tow boats are daily going to and from Louisianna. Here a picture of one I mean: http://www.wvpics.com/CopperHead.htm he is found around sunny river banks and I was bit a couple decades ago on the ankle which put e in the hospital for three days. I was canoeing with canvas slippers and stepped onto a dry sand beach with rock piles and dead dry brush. I thought a stick gouged me. That evening my leg's blood vains turned purple and was aproach mu belly. Sure enough, ER said, snake bite. They are not normally agressive, unless, I must have step on or very near him. Fished all my life and that was my snake bite story. Conaughy (talk) 00:11, 31 August 2008 (UTC)

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