第 0449 號，共 1 402 號

Eastern copperhead

Agkistrodon contortrix

名字的由來： The generic name comes from Greek words meaning 'hook' and 'tooth'. The species name comes from the Latin for 'twisted', after the pinched, hourglass-shaped bands on its back.1

需要看醫生很少致命，但被咬了需要看醫生。

蝮蛇

咬吃：肉

對人的危險: 嚴重被咬了需要看醫生。死亡案例非常罕見。

The eastern copperhead is a venomous pit viper that lives across much of the eastern United States. It has hourglass-shaped bands on a tan or reddish-brown body, which help it hide in leaves and clay. It is common, so people sometimes meet it without realising, and it makes up half of the treated snake bites in the United States.1

分布在

Eastern United States, from Texas and Florida north to New York; also Chihuahua and Coahuila in Mexico1

北美洲

首頁

It favours deciduous forest and mixed woodlands in most of its range, and often sits on rock outcroppings and ledges. It is also found in low-lying, swampy areas. Bites happen when people step on or near it, especially where it lies hidden in dead leaves or red clay.1

長度

50 cm 到 95 cm (1,6 ft 到 3,1 ft)1

體重

102 g 到 343 g (4 oz 到 12 oz)1

最高速度

大約 3,5 km/h（2,2 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It eats a wide range of prey, including insects, spiders, lizards, frogs, mice and small birds. It is mainly an ambush predator that waits in a good position for prey to arrive, though it actively hunts insects. It uses facial pit organs to sense heat and make accurate strikes.1

Eastern copperhead 的照片 — Eastern copperhead。照片：unknown。 Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.

怎麼認出牠

Dark brown, hourglass-shaped crossbands on a light reddish-brown or brown background1
A heavy, stout body rather than a slender one1
A broad head that is distinct from the neck1
Young have green or yellow tail tips, which darken to brown or black within a year1
Adults are typically 50 to 95 cm long, including the tail1

常被誤認為： The snout slopes down and back, so it looks less blunt than the snout of the cottonmouth. The head also extends further forward than the mouth.1

毒液力量

咬

咬的時候，毒液會從毒牙或牙齒出來。

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 嚴重被咬了需要看醫生。死亡案例非常罕見。

Copperhead bites account for half of the treated snake bites in the United States. Bites usually happen when people unknowingly step on or near the snake. It is generally nonaggressive and will strike only if threatened as a last resort.1

牠害怕時會做什麼？

It often freezes instead of fleeing, relying on its camouflage, and may vibrate its tail when closely approached.1

如果牠咬人

讓傷者保持不動和冷靜，讓被咬的手臂或腿保持在和心臟一樣的高度，取下戒指和緊身的東西，並趕快送醫院。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠咬了：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

牠有多重？

跟 3 根香蕉一樣重

跟 2 隻家貓從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 5 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長可以在 100 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類需要 9.6 秒）

Eastern copperhead 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一隻陸龜 大約 0,3 km/h (0,19 mph)

Eastern copperhead 大約 3,5 km/h (2,2 mph)

一個正在走路的人 大約 5 km/h (3,1 mph)

值得知道

小知識

Its tail can vibrate more than 40 times per second, faster than almost any non-rattlesnake snake.1

Juveniles wave a brightly coloured tail to attract frogs and perhaps lizards, a behaviour called caudal luring.1

Its camouflage is so good that it can be almost impossible to see on dead leaves or red clay.1

In Texas, copperheads have been found in bushes, vines and trees up to 12 metres above the ground, seeking newly emerged cicadas.1

Its venom has potential medicinal value to humans.1

Historically, kingsnakes were major predators of copperheads, and recent copperhead numbers have risen where kingsnake populations have declined.1

破解迷思

迷思： Copperheads are aggressive snakes that chase people and go looking for trouble.

真相： They are generally nonaggressive. They usually freeze or flee, and they strike only if threatened as a last resort. Most bites happen when people step on or near them without noticing.1

給毒液專家

學名: Agkistrodon contortrix
類群: 蝮蛇
家人: Viperidae2
排序: Squamata
各大洲: 北美洲
寶寶: Newborn copperheads are born with green or yellow tail tips, which darken to brown or black within one year.1
牠在野外的狀況: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, v3.1, 2001); population trend stable when assessed in 20071
對人的危險: 3 / 5: 嚴重3