Snakes are both fascinating and terrifying for most people, and being bitten by one is no joking matter. One of the first questions medical professionals will ask is which type of snake bit you, but how would you know if it’s a copperhead, cottonmouth, or a banded water snake?
Banded water snakes are smaller and flat-headed. They lack the fangs that copperheads and cottonmouths have and are non-venomous. You can also recognize cottonmouths by the dark band across the eyes. Water snakes have a band from the eyes to the jaw, and cottonmouths are a bright copper color.
Snakes are fascinating creatures and often look similar—so telling one from another is not always a simple process. Read on for more details on recognizing these three snake species and telling them apart. I’ll also briefly explain what you should do if one of these snakes ever bites you.
Banded Snake vs. Copperhead vs. Cottonmouth: Differences
According to various reports, snakebites in the Southern United States are most commonly from two species: copperhead and cottonmouth. The problem with these two particular species is that until the adult stage, they look very similar.
Both species are brown, and it’s easy to confuse them with each other at first glance. Additionally, because the cottonmouth snake is considered highly poisonous, it’s necessary not to misidentify it with the less venomous copperhead snake.
Some physicians will not administer antivenom for copperhead bites. Also, positively identifying the correct snake will help doctors assess which antivenom to use and whether it is required. After all, antivenom can produce a few severe side effects. So, physicians and emergency personnel use it with caution.
Let’s take a look at the distinguishing features of copperheads and cottonmouths.
Copperhead Snake Distinguishing Features
Although copperheads bite, they aren’t very aggressive and do not chase down their prey. So the first thing you’ll notice is that the snake doesn’t attack you if it is left alone.
Here are a few distinguishing features that set them apart from cottonmouth snakes:
- Reddish brown color throughout life (even in adulthood)
- Found in dry environments
- 20-35 inches (508 – 889 mm) long and typically narrower
- Pink mouth
- Intricate design, banded
These features may seem vague, but identifying snakes is difficult. However, it’s more important that you can distinguish between the two snake species. You wouldn’t want to be wrongly administered antivenom because of misidentifying the snake.
Cottonmouth Snake Distinguishing Features
Because the cottonmouth is exceptionally venomous and its bite is potentially fatal, recognizing it is highly important. One of the easiest ways to identify a cottonmouth snake is by the distinctive band across the eyes.
Here are all the unique features of the cottonmouth snake:
- Clear band pattern across eyes
- White mouth
- Tan brown color that fades to plain brown as the snake ages
- Long and wide: up to 50 inches (1270 mm) in length
- Highly aggressive: cottonmouths tend to hunt down attackers
- Lives near wear bodies such as rivers and lakes, or even in a swamp
Banded Water Snake: Non-Venomous
Although it looks like a cottonmouth snake, the banded water snake is harmless. It is non-venomous—that is, it does not produce venom, nor does it have the capacity to inject it into your skin.
Due to its banded pattern, this snake often gets mistaken for copperheads or even cottonmouths, despite their many differences. So how do you tell if the snake you’re looking at is the banded water snake?
Distinguishing Features of Banded Water Snakes
If you’ve come across what you believe to be a banded water snake, you’re lucky because it’s practically harmless.
To be sure that you’re not in danger, it’s helpful to know the distinguishing features of banded water snakes:
- 24-48 inches
- A flat head
- Dark bank extending from eyes to the jaw
- Brown, dark gray, greenish base color with darker bands
- No fangs
- Lives in water
- Not aggressive, don’t typically attack
Telling Apart Copperheads, Coppermouths, and Banded Water Snakes
Despite their differences, it can be easy to confuse these three species of North American snakes. More often than not, people wrongfully kill banded water snakes because people assume they are venomous.
Remember that even though the banded water snake might bite, it is not a viper and does not have fangs. As such, its teeth will not penetrate the skin as a cottonmouth or copperhead’s teeth would.
Here is a table that can help you quickly remember how to tell these three species apart:
| Banded Water Snake | Copperhead | Cottonmouth | |
| Distinctive Feature | Stripe from eyes to the jaw, flat head | Triangular shaped head | Band across eyes |
| Color | Gray, brown, gray, or greenish | Bright copper red | Red-brown when young, pale and dark as an adult |
| Pattern | Vaguely visible bands, white underbelly | Intricate and banded pattern | Bands that fade away with age |
| Length | 24 – 48 inches or 609.6 – 1219.2 mm (medium-large sized) | 20-35 inches or 508 – 889 mm (medium-sized) | 5 – 50 inches or 127 – 1270 mm (larger) |
| Habitat | Aquatic environments | Dry environments | Near water bodies |
| Behavior | Non-aggressive and does not attack easily | Aggressive only when territorial | Highly aggressive, attacks and hunts |
| Venom | Non-venomous | Rarely deadly venom | Fatal venom |
Use the table above as a reference to help you correctly identify these three snakes. However, you should know that identifying snakes is more complex than recognizing any single feature. Except for rattlesnakes and cobras, most snakes look similar to a few other species during their life cycle.
In other words, take note of more than one feature when trying to identify snakes. This practice will help you avoid misidentifying and get the proper help if needed. Remember that you should never try to approach a snake, even if you think you’ve identified it as a non-venomous variety. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
What To Do if a Snake Bites
Of course, most people only need to identify snakes when they are bitten or come in close contact with a snake. In such a potentially dangerous situation, the stress and anxiety you’d feel will make it all the more difficult to identify the correct snake.
If you’re ever in close contact with a snake, exercise caution, even if you think you know which species it is. For example, if you think you’ve got a banded water snake (harmless), you wouldn’t want to find out the hard way that you’re in danger of getting bitten by a highly venomous snake like the cottonmouth!
Here’s what you have to do if you’re ever unfortunately bitten by a snake:
- Call emergency services. You must seek medical advice so that medical professionals can evaluate and treat you accordingly.
- Ensure blood flow to the bitten area is not restricted. Remove anything that could be constricting your blood vessels, such as a belt, socks, or a watch.
- Elevate the affected area. Make sure that the site of the snakebite is above the level of your heart, if possible. This position may require that you lie down at awkward angles until someone comes to help.
- Take note of the snake’s features. Do not approach the snake or try attacking it in any way.
- Try going to the emergency if possible. The faster you can seek medical help, the more likely you’ll make a full recovery. Do not drive, though, because many people suffer from dizziness following a snakebite.
What Not To Do When Bitten by a Snake
Because snakebites are very serious, there is a lot of misinformation going around—and it has been for years. From old wives’ tales and fictional stories, people often follow bad advice regarding snakes that get them into more trouble.
Here are a few things you should avoid if a snake ever bites you:
- Don’t apply cold compresses or ice. The swollen tissue around the snakebite is prone to damage when you use cold materials.
- Avoid applying heat. Higher temperatures will increase the swelling in the area and prevent healing.
- Do not try to suck the venom out. Once the snake injects its venom—sucking will only damage the tissue, and there will be no chance of getting the poison out.
- Do not constrict blood flow to and from the affected area. Restricting blood flow will do more harm than good because the venom will be more concentrated in one place.
- Do not try to hunt the snake. While identifying the snake is a good idea, hunting the snake will waste time that you should allocate to seeking medical attention.
- Do not wash the snakebite. Also, don’t apply any lotions or creams to alleviate the pain. The best thing to do is leave the snakebite alone until a medical professional can help.
Final Thoughts
Telling these three different species apart can help relieve your anxiety if you’re ever in close contact with them. Recognizing these snakes will also dictate your behavior in a medical emergency.
As long as you’re paying attention to their distinguishing features, you should be able to see the differences between a harmless banded water snake, a copperhead, and a venomous cottonmouth.