Copperheads seldom deliver a fatal bite because of their short fangs and small size. Their strike is often blocked by a mere trouser leg. Records of the Antivenin Institute of America show that during a 10-year period, not a single death resulted from 308 recorded copperhead bites regardless of the lack or kind of treatment given victims. In spite of these reassuring figures, it must be remembered that the copperhead is potentially a dangerous snake, especially when the bite involves a child. All bites from this species should receive the same urgent consideration given the bite of a diamondback rattlesnake. The four forms of copperheads occurring in Texas are the only kinds found in the United States. SOUTHERN COPPERHEAD _Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix_ [Illustration: SOUTHERN COPPERHEAD] Description—Lighter in color than the other copperheads, this form has a body color of light brown or tan, often with a pinkish tinge. Hourglass-shaped crossbands of darker brown are very narrow along the middle of the back and are sometimes broken, forming two separate triangular markings, one on each side of the body. As on the northern copperhead, the bands are rounded at their bases. The belly is pale and indistinctly marked. Size—Adults average between 20 and 30 inches long, while some especially large examples reach a length of more than 40 inches. Young—The average number in a brood is five or six. As with all North American pit vipers, the young do not hatch from eggs but are born alive, enclosed in a thin membranous sack. They are paler than adults, with a more vivid pattern, and a bright sulphur yellow tail tip. Distribution in Texas—The southern copperhead is known in about the eastern third of the state, where it has been found in the following counties: Austin, Bastrop, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Colorado, Fort Bend, Gonzales, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Smith, Tarrant, Trinity, Victoria, and Walker. [Illustration: Distribution map] NORTHERN COPPERHEAD _Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen_ [Illustration: NORTHERN COPPERHEAD] Description—This darker form has a pattern of reddish-brown or chestnut colored crossbands, which become narrower near the middle of the back and rounded at the bases. The darker color of these “dumbbell” shaped bands contrasts with the hazel-brown body color. The underside of the snake is dark and indistinctly mottled with gray or black. Its head is usually of a lighter tint than the body. Size—Adults usually are about two and a half feet long but record size individuals of more than 40 inches have been caught. Young—Newborn northern copperheads, from three to 14 in a brood, may be from eight to 10 inches long.