{"id":2632,"date":"2026-06-17T12:34:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T12:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2632"},"modified":"2026-06-17T12:34:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T12:34:29","slug":"nc-copperheads-can-vary-in-color-see-what-they-could-look-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2632","title":{"rendered":"NC copperheads can vary in color. See what they could look like"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"summary\">AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsobserver.com\/news\/nation-world\/national\/article280707640.html\">Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Copperheads are responsible for the majority of venomous snake bites in North Carolina, and they blend into our environment.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2631\">Raleigh is adding firefighters. Why the union says it\u2019s not enough.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>All are brownish, but the snakes can vary in appearance. Here\u2019s how you can identify them.<\/p>\n<p>Because the copperheads are not identical shades, it is important to be able to ID them based on the <b>pattern of the scales.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The snakes have contrasting brown crossbands shaped like an <b>hourglass or dumbbell,<\/b> according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncwildlife.gov\/species\/copperhead\" rel=\"Follow\" target=\"_blank\">North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.<\/a> The shapes are narrow in the center of the back and wider along the sides.<\/p>\n<p>While individual patterns may vary, the commission says nearly all individual copperheads have at least some complete hourglass-shaped crossbands.<\/p>\n<p>The snakes are also fairly wide and heavy. The average adult is between 2 and 3 feet. Their heads are triangular, with a dark line from the eye to the rear of the jaw.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/seafwa.org\/member\/falyn-owens\" rel=\"Follow\" target=\"_blank\">Falyn Owens<\/a>, a wildlife biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, told The News &amp; Observer in 2025 snakes vary visually because of genetics, just like humans.<\/p>\n<p>Behind the pattern, the snakes are <b>typically light brown, coppery or tan, sometimes grayish or pinkish tan,<\/b> according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.<\/p>\n<p>Owens told The N&amp;O <b>some copperheads may be paler, sandy brown or even so dark they are nearly black<\/b>, but it isn\u2019t common.<b> The colors would be<\/b> <b>unusual in North Carolina<\/b>, and more common in animals bred in captivity for specific coloring.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2628\">Chicken and a champion. Raising Canes hosts Andrei Svechnikov for promo event<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt would be a really remarkable sighting,\u201d Owens said.<\/p>\n<p>For photos of \u201cdifferent copperhead morphs,\u201d visit Critters Of The World &amp; Southern Outdoor Education\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/coa101617\/posts\/1053033263603828?ref=embed_post\" rel=\"Follow\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you aren\u2019t quite sure, don\u2019t try your luck. Snake bites can cause pain for you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.charlotteobserver.com\/news\/state\/north-carolina\/article315715514.html\" rel=\"Follow\" target=\"_blank\">or your pets<\/a>, and antivenom can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.charlotteobserver.com\/news\/state\/north-carolina\/article315963408.html\" rel=\"Follow\" target=\"_blank\">run you thousands at the hospital<\/a>, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wakemed.org\/about-us\/news-and-media\/wakemed-blogs\/2023\/07\/talk-with-the-venom-doc\"><u>WakeMed Emergency Physician Dr. Benjamin German<\/u><\/a> said one of the worst copperhead bite cases he has seen in 2026 was caused by a snake misidentification.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had a patient this year who was bitten, but he was trying to catch a copperhead,\u201d German said. \u201cHe was from a different country, and he thought that this snake looked like one of the harmless snakes in his own country, and so he picked it up and bit him on both hands, and within five minutes he collapsed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The patient faced severe symptoms, including severe low blood pressure and signs of shock, before recovering.<\/p>\n<p>Questions about life in North Carolina? Or have a tip or story idea you\u2019d like to share? The service journalism teams at The News &amp; Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you.<\/p>\n<p>You can submit your question by <b><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSccVKD-gL7FQf5pkdkbdjLw965_FcrhM0VNSNc3CpkcOakHFg\/viewform?usp=dialog\" rel=\"Follow\" target=\"_blank\">filling out this form<\/a><\/b>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"summary gray\">This story was originally published <span class=\"inline-block\">June 17, 2026 at 8:31 AM<!-- --><\/span><span> with the headline <a class=\"origin-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.charlotteobserver.com\/news\/state\/north-carolina\/article316146825.html\"> &#8220;NC copperheads can vary in color. See what they could look like.&#8221; <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2626\">5 Most Misunderstood Movies of the 1980s, Ranked: &#8216;Body Double&#8217; and More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Identify copperheads in NC: see common color ranges, hourglass patterns and safety tips to reduce risk of venomous snake bites to people and pets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>NC copperheads can vary in color. 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