Pit Vipers of North Carolina

Copperhead

• Appearance: Light brown with brown, hour-glass-shaped crossbands.
  
• Habitat: Everywhere

Cottonmouth (aka Water Moccasin)

• Appearance: Dark bands on dark/olive skin; characteristic white colored mouth
• 
• Habitat: Prefers freshwater (streams, lakes, etc) but can also be found on land

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

• Appearance: rattle; dark diamond pattern outlined in black on gray or yellowish skin.
  
• Note: Largest and most venomous rattlesnake in the US
• Habitat: prefers sandy, costal areas. Most often found on the southeastern coast of NC
  

Timber Rattlesnake

• Appearance: rattle; color varies (black, gray, tan, or brown) with dark bands (sometimes V-shaped).
  
• Habitat: prefers forests

Pigmy Rattlesnake

• Appearance: dark spots on a grey/tan/red/pink background
  
• Note: You may not hear this rattlesnake’s warning rattle. It’s fragile and often breaks off. If it does have a rattle, it only produces a quiet "buzzing" sound.
• Habitat: forests, costal plains, woodlands

Eastern Coral Snake (rare)

• Appearance: Red touches yellow; kills a fellow. Red touches black; venom lack. Black nose.
  
• Note: the above color band pattern ONLY APPLIES to North American coral snakes; it is not a 100% guarantee either as some individuals can have atypical coloring. When in doubt, best to leave it alone.
  • Look-alikes include: scarlet kingsnakes and northern scarlet snakes
• Habitat: dry land
• Note: no documented cases of coral snake bites in North Carolina

Friendly Snakes:

References:

• https://animalvivid.com/venomous-snakes-in-north-carolina/
• https://www.ncpoisoncontrol.org/types-of-poisons/venomous-creatures/snakes
• https://www.ncpoisoncontrol.org/-/media/nc-poison-center/documents/snakebitepostervwebfinal.pdf