Mississippi Melee: Who Wins in a Copperhead vs Cottonmouth Fight in the Magnolia State?

Both the copperhead and the cottonmouth have deadly reputations, mostly because they are two of the most venomous snakes in Mississippi. But if these snakes were to go toe-to-toe (or tail-to-tail), which snake would come out on top? Let’s talk about who would win in a copperhead vs. cottonmouth fight. We will compare each animal’s size, speed, and attack abilities!

Key Differences Between a Copperhead and Cottonmouth

Competitor #1: The Copperhead

The copperhead is a pit viper that gets its name from its copper-red head. That means this snake has a heat-sensor “pit” on both sides of its head. Copperheads use this ability to distinguish differences between heat sources. This heat sensor also guides the snake’s accuracy as it strikes at warm-blooded prey.

Copperheads are a very common species of snake in North America. They prefer wooded areas with both sun and cover. But they are very adaptable to habitat changes, and thus, they do well in suburban areas. Copperheads cover the whole state of Mississippi, except by the coast. You rarely see a copperhead south of Perry County.

Although copperheads hunt alone, they are semi-social and hibernate in dens with other snakes—be it other copperheads or a different species, like timber rattlesnakes or black rat snakes.

Copperheads are responsible for the most bites on humans per year in North America. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is that, out of the fight, flight or freeze response, copperheads are freezers. They depend on their camouflage to remain hidden, resulting in people accidentally stepping on them.

The second reason is that their first strike is usually venom-free—a sort of warning bite. If they still feel threatened, the second bite is venom-packed. But overall, these snakes prefer to avoid confrontation and are considered to have low aggression.

Competitor #2: The Cottonmouth

When threatened, the cottonmouth tightly coils its body and opens its mouth wide, exposing its intimidating fangs. In fact, the cottonmouth earned its name because of its white, gaping mouth. This snake is the only species in North America that spends as much time in the water as on land. Because cottonmouths are semi-aquatic snakes, they are also nicknamed “water moccasins.”

Like copperheads, cottonmouths are pit vipers and have the heat-sensor pits on the sides of their heads. Both an ambush and pursuit predator, cottonmouths will eat whatever they can get, including fish, amphibians, birds, rodents, and even other cottonmouths.

Swamps, floodplains, and wetlands are their habitats of choice, and they like hiding in rotting logs or stumps near water. Cities around the Mississippi embayment, like Vicksburg and Natchez, see a lot of cottonmouths. Cottonmouths are also common along the gulf, where there are semi-aquatic areas such as the Wolf River Marsh Coastal Preserve.

Because cottonmouths are so nervous and irritable, they are the primary snakebite perpetrators in Mississippi. Cottonmouths are also more venomous than copperheads, and more medical complications have been documented from their bites.

Animal Showdown: Key Factors in a Copperhead vs. Cottonmouth Battle

The key factors in a copperhead vs. cottonmouth showdown are size, speed, intelligence, and survival skills. We’ll also see how the attack and defense abilities of these snakes match up.

Who will be the ultimate winner? Both snakes are formidable. The copperhead is a master at camouflage, which is an advantage in a sneak attack. However, cottonmouths are larger and more aggressive than their copperhead relatives. Let’s look at all the factors:

Round 1: Size and Speed

On average, cottonmouths beat copperheads in both categories. The typical length of a copperhead is 24-36 inches, whereas a cottonmouth is 30-42 inches. Not only are cottonmouths bigger, but they are three times heavier than their counterparts, with copperheads being 0.5-0.75 pounds on average and cottonmouths 3-4 pounds.

As far as speed goes, copperheads wind through flat landscapes at one to three miles per hour. However, cottonmouths easily reach three miles per hour, and that’s not counting their speed in the water. Unfortunately, even if a copperhead wanted to retreat, it wouldn’t be able to outpace a cottonmouth.

Round 2: Attack and Defense

Both of these impressive snakes have venomous attacks, but a cottonmouth’s venom is more potent. Both snakes have hemotoxic venom. Hemotoxic venom breaks down the red blood cells, preventing the blood from clotting, which results in hemorrhaging throughout the entire system and organ and tissue failure.

A copperhead is a patient ambush predator and has surprise on its side. But the cottonmouth has an incredible strike speed of 2.97 meters per second, making it the fastest snake in the United States. As far as attack abilities go, the cottonmouth wins.

For defense, both snakes are agile swimmers; however, the cottonmouth is the more comfortable one in the water. Not only that, but a cottonmouth is faster, making it both superior in retreat and pursuit speed. But, the cottonmouth has nothing on a copperhead’s ability to scale bushes and trees.

Copperheads will climb bushes or trees in search of prey or to take advantage of sunlight. One hunter discovered this the hard way in the city of Philadelphia, Mississippi. When he was returning to his truck, he tried to jump a flood ditch, and a copperhead struck the left side of his head from a nearby branch. The copperhead would have the height advantage in a copperhead vs. cottonmouth fight.

Round 3: Intelligence and Survival Skills

Both snakes possess average intelligence, and they both take advantage of their heat-sensing ability and camouflage. In addition, when confronted, both snakes are timid to attack and give plenty of warning before a strike. However, cottonmouth bites are more prominent in Mississippi, given their nervous and agitated nature. If it came to a fight, a cottonmouth would most likely strike first.

Who Would Win in a Copperhead vs. Cottonmouth Fight?

The winner is… the cottonmouth! Superior in size, speed, and attack abilities, when it comes to a copperhead vs. cottonmouth fight, the cottonmouth is the clear champion.

Snakes on Your Property

We know who wins in a copperhead vs. cottonmouth fight, but what if you find one in your house? Luckily, most animal control businesses are equipped to trap and remove venomous snakes. The AA Animal Control, which works out of Jackson, Mississippi, uses snake hooks and snake tongs to remove a snake from your property. If you’ve seen evidence of a snake, there are also snake traps they set to contain any species of concern.

Animal Control Solutions, which serves Biloxi, Gulfport, and Jackson, recommends sealing the exterior of your home well and making sure there are no gaps in the siding or door frames. The Mississippi State University Extension Service suggests managing the habitat around your home, making it unattractive to copperheads and cottonmouths. Remove all hiding places such as brick piles, wood stacks, or leaf and grass heaps. Keep your lawn trimmed and birdseed or other food sources for rodents in hard-to-reach containers. If you have a rodent problem, you’ll also have a snake problem.

All in all, snakes are beneficial in keeping rodent populations down, and they prey on other pests as well. Additionally, some medicines, like the blood-pressure medicine ACE inhibitor, were originally derived from snake venom. And research continues for new medical uses of snake venom. While a copperhead or cottonmouth may seem dangerous, they also help us!