Plancia ëd Agkistrodon Palisot de Beauvois 1799

Descrission:

From a closer perspective, this 2008 photograph revealed a detailed view of a juvenile venomous Southern copperhead snake's, Agkistrodon contortrix, skin surface, which was found coiled in a Decatur, Georgia basement.

These scales, or scutes, act to protect the animal, help the snake maneuver through its environment by providing traction, and through their variegated patterning, help camoflouge the reptile, thereby protecting it from the eyes of preditors, while at the same time, allowing it to sneak up on its prey.

The coloration includes a pale tannish brown to a pinkish brown base colo, which is overlaid by 10 to 18 darker brown crossbands, one of which is evident here. Also note the juvenile’s yellow distal tail coloration best seen in PHIL 10842, 10846, and 10847, which is a characteristic found in juveniles, but not in adults.
Created: 2008