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northern copperhead
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by codeman on April 29, 2008
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what is the average length of a copperhead. ive been keeping snakes for about 2 years and ive heard many different sizes they grow to. mine is about 1.5 years and is about20 inchs. i feed it a full grown f/t mouse once a week.
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RE: northern copperhead
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by 23bms on April 29, 2008
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In NE PA and NW NJ it is extraordinarily rare to see a Copperhead over 2 feet. I don't know what the historical max is, but in 40 some years in the field up here I've only seen one larger than 24".
That being said, the average northern (in this area anyway) makes any other variety, regardless of size, look like a bleached formaldehyde soaked carcass. Stunning animals. I truly pity you southerners with your peroxide coppers. :)
jrb
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RE: northern copperhead
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by agkistrodude on April 30, 2008
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Here in Georgia I'd say they average between 2 to 3 feet,now they can get bigger,I have 2 now that are about 40 inches. I almost bought one at a show in Columbia, SC a few years ago that was 54 inches.If I remember right, I believe they said it was from LA. Take care, Marty
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RE: northern copperhead
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by Atrox788 on April 30, 2008
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I think the record copperhead length is 54 inches. Ive seen specimens from LA that were very close and a good friend of mine had one at around 52 inches.
Barring the above mentioned A.c.contortrix from LA (which is a different snake then the one my friend had which unfortunately passed away due to old age)the record is 54 inches according to the Agkistrodon complex (if I remember correctly). Ironically this snake was a pure A.c.mokasen from White Plains New York and not a southern which tend to obtain much larger sizes.
As for average length for A.c.mokasen it really depends on were your talking about. This ssp incorporates a huge range and many different types of ecosystems. Generally the higher elevation populations are much smaller then the coastal ones. Most higher elevation northerns I have seen average 2 to 2 1/2 ft as adults, sometimes close to 3. On the other hand I have herd of monster northerns being found in coastal MD and NJ, around 45 inches or so but none obviously as big as the record.
Expect to see alot of changes to the contortrix complex in the near future. I believe work is being done at the moment and if it not it should be.
I hope this helps,
Jeremy
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RE: northern copperhead
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by Phobos on April 30, 2008
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The largest Northern in the NYS record books is 53 inches. In 1973 I caught one 51 inchs at my favorite den site.
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RE: northern copperhead
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by plainblain on April 30, 2008
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I have to 2nd. what 23bms said about Northern Copperheads. They are truly colorful. I remember catching them in the early 60s up in the Ramapo Mnts, along Rt. 202 in Mahwah, N.J., at Camp Yaw Paw and Camp Glen Grey along the pipeline. None of the Southerns I have, or Trans Pecos come close to what I remember. I figured maybe the years had distorted my memory of those W.C. Northerns, but 23bms makes me feel maybe my remembrance of those great days is correct.
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RE: northern copperhead
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by FSB on April 30, 2008
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Near where I live in Stuart, VA there is a mountain music jamboree kind of place, kinda like a flea market, on Hwy. 57. The owner had on display a 54" northern copperhead (I saw it and verified the length myself) that was truly amazing. He had raised it from a juvenile, so it did not get that big in the wild, but it was still impressive. I really wanted to buy it off of him but he hemmed and hawed. Recently his nephew told me that the man had finally JUST decided to sell me the snake at some point last winter, but when he went out to check on it, the bulb had burned out in his heat lamp and the snake was frozen stiff. BUM-mer.
This is the second time this kind of thing happened to me this winter. Some lady up in Floyd county had a 19' burmese python -really light colored too - that she was going to GIVE me, along with all of her rabbit colony, but their power went out one night and that snake died too.
Damn, what am I doing wrong?
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