With over three thousand snake species worldwide, it isn’t always easy to determine what variety a particular snake is. So, how can you tell the difference between a copperhead, garter, corn, and cottonmouth snake? 

The major difference between copperhead, garter, corn, and cottonmouth snakes is the lethality of their venom. The venom from copperhead and cottonmouth snakes is poisonous but doesn’t cause death, while that of garter snakes is mildly neurotoxic. The venom from corn snakes is also harmless.

Read on to learn more about the differences and similarities between these snakes, the symptoms accompanying their bite, which ones make for good pets, and other interesting details. Let’s get started!

Major Differences Between Copperhead, Garter, Corn, and Cottonmouth Snakes

There are several differences between copperhead, garter, corn, and cottonmouth snakes. The table below highlights these differences:

	Copperhead	Garter	Corn	Cottonmouth
Appearance	Coppery-brown head with round pupils  Hourglass-shaped chestnut brown bands Cream or gray-colored	Different garter snake species feature various colorations Slender bodies with ridged skin  Head is bigger than the neck Round eyes and pupils  Yellow or white stripes on the back	Slim body with scaly brownish-yellow, or orange back Skin has red blotches  Belly has white and black checkered patterned designs	Triangular head with cat eyes Signature white mouth  Thick, scaly, dark brown or black skin  Dark brown, olive, tan, or gray bands around the body
Lethality of Venom	Venomous but not lethal to humans	Mild neurotoxic venom	No venom	Lethal venom
Habitat	A sunny environment with lots of hideouts	Almost anywhere: Woodland  Ponds Lakes  Forests	Enjoys living near: Grain bags  Barns Abandoned buildings Meadows	Shallow water bodies, such as: Rivers  Lakes Ponds
Defense Mechanism	They freeze when they see danger and are ready to strike	Folds itself and hides its head while shaking its tail.  Gives off an offensive odor.	They run away or freeze and rattle their tails.	They coil and open their mouths to reveal a white mouth.  They emit an offensive odor.  They can also play dead by floating on water
Length	2-3 feet long (0.6-0.9 meters)	18-30 inches long (20.3-9.1 cm), but some may grow as long as 42 or 63.7 inches (12.8-19.4 cm).	2.00-5.97 feet (0.6-1.8 meters)	30-42 inches (76.2-106.7 cm), but it can grow up to 74 inches (188 cm).
Lifespan	18 years	10-14 years	6-8 years in the wild, and 23 years in captivity.	10-25 years
Diet	Rodents  Frogs  Frog eggs  Small snakes  Mice  Insects  Baby toads  Cottontails	Amphibians  Small fish  Worms  Crayfish  Snails  Slugs  Leeches	Mice  Rats  Worms  Birds and bird eggs  Lizards  Small frogs	Fish  Baby cottonmouths Small turtles Amphibians  Baby alligators  Lizards

I’ll discuss these differences in greater detail below:

Lethality of Venom

Copperhead Snakes

A copperhead snake’s venom is poisonous, but it can’t kill humans. However, it’s quite lethal on prey, and copperheads usually don’t attack until the prey is very close. They will bite the prey and release venom into it.  

They will allow the prey to die and then swallow them. If the prey is large, they will bite it and leave it to die before eating it. For smaller prey, cottonmouths bite them, kill them, and swallow them. 

If you are bitten by a copperhead snake, you should see a doctor for help as soon as possible because the bite can cause hemorrhage, fever, lethargy, pain, and edema.

Garter Snakes 

Garter snakes paralyze their prey with a toxic bite before swallowing the animal. 

A garter snake bite might cause swelling, pain, or itching at the bite site, especially if you’re allergic to this type of bite. Garter snake bites aren’t fatal but can be painful, and you should see a doctor if you experience complications. 

Corn Snakes

Corn snakes are not venomous, and their bites can’t harm a human or animal. Since they aren’t venomous, they don’t have fangs and only teeth. This makes them the ideal pet snake. 

Corn snakes feed by using their teeth to trap their prey before swallowing. They rarely bite humans, and even when they do, there’s no cause for alarm. Their bites produce little or no blood and are only mildly painful. 

Cottonmouth Snakes

Cottonmouth snakes are venomous, and they have sharp fangs. They poison their prey by biting and releasing their venom. They then constrict the prey until it dies before swallowing it whole. 

Cottonmouth bites are only fatal in very rare cases. Otherwise, they can cause uncomfortable symptoms, including: 

• Severe pain
• Skin discoloration
• Swelling at the bite site
• Nausea
• Increased heart rate 

Habitat

Snakes tend to find a suitable environment where they can easily hide, emerge, and find prey to feed.

• Copperhead snakes: Copperhead snakes prefer places where they can easily camouflage, and they like warm environments with lots of shade. They can be found in highlands or lowlands and also near swampy areas. They are mostly found in the eastern and southern parts of the United States, northern Mexico, and some forests in Texas.
• Garter snakes: Garter snakes are highly adaptable creatures, and you find them almost anywhere. They live in both swampy areas and dry land, and in gardens, forests, and near water. You can find them in the north and southeast US, northern Mexico, and Canada.
• Corn snakes: In the wild, you can find corn snakes in trees, abandoned buildings, meadows, farms, long grasses, and Palmetto Flatwoods. They’re found in the eastern United States, from Florida to Kentucky to Louisiana.
• Cottonmouth snakes: You’ll likely find cottonmouth snakes close to water bodies because they prefer swamps, troughs, ponds, rivers, and wetlands. They also venture out of the water to dry land, but it’s rare to see a cottonmouth far away from water. They are found throughout the the United States.

Defense Mechanism

Snakes, like any other animal, have a way of defending themselves from predators and other threats:

Copperhead Snakes

Copperhead snakes freeze when they sense danger or see a predator. They rely on camouflage, as their skin easily blends into the color of their environment, to avoid danger. 

However, they will only strike when someone steps on, handles, or gets very close to them. 

Garter Snakes

When a garter snake senses danger, it will fold and hide its head while shaking its tail as a warning. If this doesn’t work, it gives off an unpleasant musky odor to fend off the danger. If the danger persists and the snake senses the threat approaching, it will strike as a last resort. 

Corn Snakes

Like rattlesnakes, corn snakes wiggle their tails when they perceive danger. Aside from that, they are docile creatures and can be handled and kept as pets. They rarely bite and pose no real danger, so if you encounter one in the wild, you can spend a little time admiring them, but always from a distance, though, as you should still respect their personal space.

Cottonmouth Snakes

Cottonmouth snakes, although venomous, don’t like trouble. In the face of a predator or threat, they will coil and open their mouths, exposing their white mouth that contrasts sharply with their skin. This is an effective technique for warding off danger. 

If that doesn’t work, they will emit an offensive odor to drive the predator or danger away. They will only strike if the threat comes close, and would much prefer to run away and be on their own.

Length

• Copperhead snakes: Southern copperhead snakes, as adults, are usually 24-36 inches (61-91.4 cm) long, and their northern counterparts are shorter at 26-34 (66-86.4 cm) inches long. The longest a southern copperhead snake can grow is 52 inches long, while the northern Copperhead snakes can grow up to 53 inches (134.6 cm).
• Garter snakes: Garter snakes are not long compared to other snakes. They can reach 18-30 inches (45.7-76.2 cm) in length, with some garter snakes growing up to 42 inches (106.7 cm) long. Giant garter snakes can be as long as 63.7 inches (161.8 cm).
• Corn snakes: Adult corn snakes can reach lengths of 61-182 inches (154.94-462.28 cm). 
• Cottonmouth snakes: Cottonmouth snakes can reach lengths of up to 30 and 42 inches (76.2 and 106.7 cm) as adults. As babies, their typical length is 9-10 inches (22.9-25.4 cm) long, and some adults can grow up to 72 inches (182.9 cm).

Lifespan

• Copperhead snakes: Copperheads have a lifespan of 18 years, and they usually mate from late spring to early summer. They sometimes mate during the fall, but this is rare. They are ovoviviparous and give birth to live young. They can give birth to two to ten young snakes at a time.
• Garter snakes: Garter snakes have lifespans of between 4-6 years in the wild, but they can live many more years as a pet. They mate during spring, and their females, especially the northern garter females, give birth to 8 to 40 young garters at a time. They are also ovoviviparous, so their young ones do not hatch from eggs.
• Corn snakes: Corn snakes live as long as 6-8 years in the wild, but in captivity, and with the right care, they can live to 23 years. Corn snakes mate from April to June, aren’t ovoviviparous, and lay eggs. Two months after mating, the females produce 10-15 eggs in a humid area to preserve them. The eggs will hatch in  2-3 months.
• Cottonmouth snakes: Cottonmouths live in the wild and can live for 15-20 years, with some living up to 25 years. They are ovoviviparous and reproduce in litters of 10-20 every 2-3 years.

Food

Copperhead snakes feed on:

• Rodents 
• Frogs and frog eggs
• Little snakes
• Mice
• Insects
• Baby toads
• Cottontails

Cottonmouths feed on:

• Fish
• Their baby cottonmouths
• Little turtles
• Amphibians
• Baby alligators
• Lizards

Corn snakes feed on:

• Mice
• Rats
• Worms
• Bird and bird eggs
• Lizards
• Small frogs

Garter snakes feed on:

• Amphibians
• Small fishes
• Worms
• Crayfish
• Snails
• Slugs
• Leeches

Copperhead Snakes, Garter Snakes, Corn Snakes, and Cottonmouths: Why Such Funny Names?

• Copperhead snake: The Copperhead snake is so named because of its copper-red head. Many snakes are often confused with copperheads, but the distinguishing factor of copperheads is their hourglass-shaped pattern, which is a red or brownish color on a tan, salmon, lighter brown, or pinkish background.
• Garter snake: Garter snakes are very beautiful and come in various colors. They’re called garter snakes due to the long stripes on both sides of their body, which look like a garter used to hold up a sock. Garter snakes are also called garden snakes, and some people believe they get their names due to the mispronunciation of garden by the Germans.
• Corn snake: Corn snakes are so named because they have checkered patterned bodies that resemble corn plants. Others believe the name is due to their love for living near grain bags. These cute snakes make fantastic pets with their slender bodies and harmless teeth and are excellent grain farm pets as they help farmers get rid of pesky rodents.
• Cottonmouth snake: Cottonmouths get their name from their characteristic white mouth coloration. Their body color ranges from black to dark brown to olive or banded yellow, and their mouth is a sharp white or cotton-colored contrast. Cottonmouths are not good pets as they’re venomous but not lethal. They are also commonly referred to as water moccasins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Can I Buy a Corn Snake?

You can buy a corn snake at a pet store, a breeder, an online reptile shop, or a reptile expo. Corn snakes make excellent pets because they’re beautiful and relatively harmless due to their docile nature.

It’s best to get one that has been captive for a while because this ensures that they’ve been well cared for. 

When Are Copperhead, Corn, Cottonmouth, and Garter Snakes Most Active?

Corn snakes are most active during the day, at dawn or dusk. They like staying close to a grain bag or hidden somewhere. However, if they’re pets and your house is well-illuminated day and night, they may not be able to tell when it’s nighttime to rest.

Copperhead snakes move around during the day and at night, and they hunt mostly at night. However, during summer, they become nocturnal, moving only at night, or cool early evenings. They hibernate during winter in dens, mountains, and caves.

Cottonmouths are most active at night, and they often slither around during the day, especially during summer. They typically hunt at night. 

Garters are usually active during the day. Unlike other snakes, they enjoy the winter when it’s still mild. They hibernate around late October and through to March or early April.

Final Thoughts

Amongst copperheads, corns, garters, and cottonmouths, cottonmouths have the most lethal venom. Copperheads are also venomous but not lethal enough to cause death.

Corn snakes are harmless. They hardly bite, but they must be properly cared for in captivity. Garters are also harmless – their bites can only cause a little discomfort and fever.