Copperheads in Indiana: Where They Live and How Often They Bite

One fun fact about the state of Indiana is that, despite having at least 150 species of wildlife, the state has no official or state mammal. Indiana is one of the Great Lake States, as it is bordered on the north by Lake Michigan and on the south by the Ohio River.

One of Indiana’s most common species is the copperhead. Copperheads are endemic to the North American continent and are found in many American states. These snakes are venomous pit vipers, easily recognized by their copper or orange-red heads, hence their name. This article takes a look at copperheads in Indiana, where they live, and how often they bite.

What Copperhead Species Are Found in Indiana?

According to the Indiana Herp Atlas and the Indiana department of natural resources, the state is home to two species of copperheads, the eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and the northern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen).

Copperheads, as adults, mostly feed on amphibians and mammals such as rodents, while babies feed mostly on caterpillars. Baby copperheads have bright yellow or green tails tips which they use to lure some of the animals that they feed on. Even as babies, they are venomous and use this venom to break down their tissues to aid their digestion.

How To Identify Eastern Copperheads

Eastern copperheads can easily be recognized by their pale brown to pinkish-brown ventral and dorsal scales, which are marked by hourglass patterns colored copper to reddish-brown. These snakes measure 20 to 37 inches (1.7-3.1 feet) on average and can weigh anywhere from 3.2 to 11.2 ounces (0.2 – 0.7 pounds)

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How To Identify Northern Copperheads

Northern copperhead snakes are generally longer than their eastern counterparts as they range from 24 to 36 inches (2 -3 feet) and even attain 53 inches (4.4 feet) on occasion. Their bodies or scales are colored reddish-brown or copper and marked with hourglass crossbands colored dark chestnut or brown.

Where Are Copperheads Found in Indiana?

Copperheads are Indiana’s most commonly-seen venomous snake and are found all over the state. However, the northern copperhead is mostly found in Southern Indiana. These snakes prefer Indiana’s rocky hills and outcrops as well as ridgetop forest openings. Copperheads also like deciduous forests and mixed woodlands, and since Indiana has almost 4.9 million acres of forestland, these snakes are commonly found.

How Often Do Copperheads in Indiana Bite?

Although copperheads bite more people than any snake in the USA, bites in Indiana are very rare. One fatality was recorded on July 24, 1931, when a 28-year-old farmer named Jess Correll was bitten on the hand.

Luckily, there have been no more reports of fatalities by copperheads since then. Generally, in America, copperheads are responsible for about 2,920 of the 7000 to 8000 bites seen each year and 0.01% of the reported bites are fatal. 

Copperhead Venom

Despite their notoriously painful bites, copperheads are not highly venomous snakes. They have hemotoxic venom known to attack their victims’ blood cells and tissues and even cause respiratory problems. Their bites can even hinder or induce excessive blood clotting and necrosis.

It takes about 85- 100 mg of copperhead venom to kill a person, but these snakes produce 26 mg of venom on average with a maximum of 85mg. These numbers show that fatalities can occur even though their venom isn’t extremely toxic.

How To Avoid Copperhead Bites in Indiana

Since copperheads are widely spread in the state, it’s important to know how best to avoid them, especially if you do not like them. As we’ve explained, Indiana’s copperheads like to frequent rocky hills, ridgetop forest openings, rocky outcrops, and hollow logs. So, avoiding these places after dark is a great idea.

It is also important to stick to clearly-defined paths as snakes do not frequent places humans commonly pass. Snakes are also known to stay in abandoned buildings such as barns and sheds, so avoiding abandoned places is important too.

Another important step that you can take is planting snake repelling plants around your home. Most snake repelling plants like citrus, garlic, or onions are also useful at home. Snake repelling plants have strong smells which confuse and disorient snakes.

What To Do If You Come Across A Copperhead in Indiana

If you come across a copperhead in Indiana, consider yourself lucky. Most people don’t see them but step on or near them, which results in them getting bitten. Copperheads’ high bite-rate occurs because they camouflage or hide instead of running away when they sense humans.

Consequently, if you spot them, they’ll be more than happy to let you leave. Remember that most snake bites occur after human provocation, so if you leave a snake on its own, it’ll return the favor. However, it is important not to scream, run, or do anything that could provoke it to react out of fear or excitement.

It is important to note that killing a non-threatening snake actually does more harm than good. Many of Indiana’s snake species, such as the cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorous) and the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), are threatened due to frequent poaching by humans.

What To Do If You Get Bitten By A Copperhead Snake

If you’ve been bitten by a copperhead or any other snake in Indiana:

1. Stay calm and contact Indiana Poison Center at (800) 222-1222. It is a free medical resource and is available 24/7.
2. Do not administer any first aid to yourself. Most home treatments previously administered to snake bite victims are now known to cause more harm than good.
3. Do not attempt to suck out the blood, as you will likely have left-over venom in the bitten area and your mouth.
4. Do not apply a tourniquet as this can cause more harm than good.
5. Do not cut off or make any cuts on the bitten part as you do not want to bleed out in addition to having snake venom in you. Antivenom can reverse the venom’s effects of the venom, so focus on contacting the poison center, and you’ll be fine.
6. Stay calm and avoid pacing, as movements can help the circulation of the venom. If you are outside, walk slowly, taking conscious efforts to breathe gently.