Head to head
Japanese Mamushi vs Copperhead
Japanese Mamushi
VS Copperhead
The Japanese mamushi and North American copperhead are two small pit vipers of woodland and farmland that cause more snakebites than most venomous snakes in their regions.
| Japanese Mamushi | Copperhead | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Gloydius blomhoffii | Agkistrodon contortrix |
| Appearance | A brown to grey body with dark, ring-like blotches along the back, a short, thick build, and usually 50 to 65 cm long | A tan to pinkish body crossed by darker hourglass or dumbbell-shaped bands, narrow across the spine |
| Diet | Mice, frogs, lizards, and other small animals, ambushed and bitten | Mostly small mammals such as mice and voles, along with small birds, lizards, frogs, other snakes, and cicadas |
| Venom | Causes pain, swelling, and bleeding problems, and any bite needs urgent medical treatment | The least potent of the North American pit vipers, with painful bites but extremely rare deaths |
| Bites | A leading cause of snakebite in Japan, living close to rice paddies, fields, and woodland paths | Accounts for the largest share of venomous snakebites across much of the eastern United States, partly because it stays still when cornered |
| Young | Gives birth to live young, usually in late summer or autumn | Gives birth in late summer to about 4 to 10 young, which are fully venomous |
| Habitat and range | Forests, fields, rice paddies, and rocky slopes across Japan and parts of the nearby Asian mainland | Deciduous and mixed forest, rocky wooded hillsides, and forest edges across the eastern and central United States |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Japanese Mamushi vs Copperhead: common questions
What is mamushi liquor?
It is a traditional Japanese tonic made by steeping the snake in alcohol, long used in folk medicine.
Which viper bites more people?
Both are leading causes of snakebite in their regions, the mamushi in Japan and the copperhead in the eastern United States.
Which one has weaker venom?
The copperhead, whose venom is the least potent of the North American pit vipers, with extremely rare deaths.